APPENDIX 25
Memorandum submitted by Mr Michael O'Connor
My experience of controlled parking since it
was introduced by Lewisham council has not been good. I have received
two parking tickets which were illegally placed on my car by Lewisham
councils contractors NPC. Both tickets were successfully appealed
by going to appeal. Both of the appeals were a long drawn out
procedure. On first contacting Lewisham I was told to write and
they would investigate, their investigation was to look at what
their parking attendant had wrote in his note book. It is obvious
their parking attendant would put false information in his or
her note book. On winning the appeals I think Lewisham or the
appeals authority should of reported the attendant to the police,
because I know its a criminal offence to falsely put a parking
ticket on a car.
When parking in a Lewisham pay and display car
park a Lewisham parking attendant saw me park and go to the pay
and display machine, it was lucky I told somebody to wait by the
car because the attendant had wanted to ticket me while going
to buy a ticket to place on my windscreen.
I am now a blue badge holder and I can't park
any where now, everywhere is resident parking, friends I used
to visit I can't visit anymore, going to the doctors is impossible
all resident parking. The only way I can park in controlled parking
areas is to find a yellow or if I am very lucky to get on a very
rare pay and display bay, they are always full up with health
worker staff form nearby Lewisham hospital. I have had Lewisham
parking attendants trying to give me tickets even though my badge
has been displayed while parking on yellow lines within the controlled
parking area. The reason why blue badge holders can't park in
resident bays is because Lewisham wouldn't be able to charge residents
within who live within the controlled parking area for a parking
permit. I see this as a abuse of power. My mother is disabled
and has a blue and she has to pay parking permit charge.
The controlled parking areas isolate disabled
and elderly people, where they would get visitors before controlled
is introduced these visitors dry up because they can't park and
this applies to everybody living in controlled parking areas,
they become isolated.
Why controlled parking has to be from 9 am to
7 pm within Lewisham is beyond me, they say its to stop commuters
parking. They only need to restrict parking 30 minutes in the
morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. It's all about money
and as controlled parking says its about controlling people with
cars. The areas of controlled parking broken up into small areas
to maximise control and revenues from parking tickets. I believe
if somebody pays Lewisham for a parking permit they should be
able to park anywhere in the borough including the pay and display
car parks. If that was to happen then the control would be lost.
With controlled parking I believe that councils abuse their powers
to harass drivers of cars. These powers need to be taken away
from councils because of instead of using the powers to manage
the local roads they are used to raise as much money as possible.
I see the charge for resident parking permits as the councils
road tax, because if you live within controlled parking area and
own a car you have no choice but to pay for a permit. Because
of the charges many residents were applying to have their curb
dropped to park off road, Lewisham came in with minimum distance
from the front of the residents house to pavement to stop people
parking off road.
The fines for parking illegally are set by the
London local authority association and they are set a level to
raise as much money as possible, the amount set should be taken
away from councils and done independently. The councils have a
conflict of interest when setting fines. For parking somewhere
that does not block traffic or cause a danger does not fit the
crime.
The way the controlled parking schemes are operated
and councils decriminalising parking is taken purely on a financial
point of view and not helping residents. I believe the amount
of hours council can apply the scheme should be restricted to
a maximum of two hours per day to stop commuters from parking.
Blue badge holders should be exempt form paying for parking permits
and they should be allowed to park in resident bays. I believe
my human rights have been breached by the scheme because it restricts
my freedom of movement, affects my family life because it restricts
me from visiting family members unless I pay a tax to visit them.
OFF TOPIC
Ken Livingstone and the transport for London
As a disabled driver I am not catered for by
the transport of London because under Ken Livingstone nearly all
the disabled parking spaces have been taken away to make way for
bus lanes, I believe Ken Livingstone has abused his powers by
this policy. I am disabled and my car should be seen as part of
the transport system of London, I have to queue in long lanes
of traffic while the buses fly past. I have a blue badge because
my car is essential for me to get around. That is why mobility
exists to help people on highest rate disability living allowance
mobility component to get a car for transport. I am being discriminated
against by Ken Livingstone and the transport provided by them
not recognising my car as part of the London transport system.
I believe Ken Livingstone and the transport of London have breached
my human rights because they are restricting my freedom of movement
by removing the disabled parking bays on the red routes and excluding
me from bus lanes or from running in bus lanes from 7 am to 7
pm or 24 hours because my car is essential for me to travel around
London being disabled; and that my car is not recognised as part
of the essential transport system. I believe the select committee
should investigate Transport for London on the use of bus lanes
and the treatment of disabled drivers. Disabled drivers are discriminated
against by Ken Livingstone and Transport for London as is everybody
who drives a car.
5 September 2005
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