Carer's parking fine sparks fury

Brenda Gledhill, 70, of Filey Terrace, Clifton, said the carer had not been able to find anywhere else to park when visiting to look after her husband who is having end of life care at home.

But the parking enforcement officer would not change his mind about issuing a ticket after they explained the situation.

Mrs Gledhill’s husband Eric, 91, is suffers from leukaemia and prostate cancer. He has been receiving care since he left hospital on December 12 after receiving treatment for a strangulated hernia.

She said: “The traffic warden said ‘he has got his job to do and I have got mine’. It doesn’t seem right somehow. It made me so mad.

“When you explain to them [traffic wardens] that someone is caring for somebody you would think they would be more understanding.”

She added: “Traffic wardens should be able to use discretion. I think carers should be able to park where they need to as they provide urgent and necessary care.”

Mrs Gledhill also claims the warden’s van “was parked on double yellow lines” as he was issuing the ticket on Tuesday.

She says parking on Filey Terrace, which has double yellow lines down one side, is “a problem all the time”. “Sometimes the carer finds a space on the street, other times he has to park on another street,” she explained. It is very rare he gets a space on our street.”

A City of York Council spokesman said: “They can object to the PCN (penalty charge notice) and this will be considered in the statutory appeals system, which all local authorities have to abide by. Carers can also apply for a carer’s parking permit.

“If it is an emergency, officers do have discretion, however double yellow lines are in place for a reason and parking on them will impede and obstruct traffic. It can also be a safety issue to park on these, as in some cases it could block the line of sight for other vehicles, which could result in an accident.”