A video of a Manchester City Council traffic warden ticketing a disabled Salford man’s car has had hundreds of thousands of views online.
The one-minute video clip, taken by 41-year-old Paul Gartley on Norfolk Street Manchester on Monday 25 May, has had over 400,000 hits in the past 48 hours.
Paul, from Irlams o’th Height, was shocked to return to his car, which was parked on double yellow lines near the Arndale Shopping Centre, to find a traffic warden plastering a £70 ticket on his vehicle.
“She wasn’t bothered by my disabled badge,” he told SalfordOnline.com.
“She wasn’t sympathetic at all. All she cared about was the loading sign which was about 30 yards away down the street.”
The law states Blue Badge holders can park on double yellow lines for a maximum of three hours, unless there is no loading or unloading.
Paul underwent an operation to remove his bowels in 2011 and is now fecally incontinent, which means he often has the sudden urge to use the toilet.
He said: “When people see me park up and run for a loo, they’re scratching their heads thinking ‘What disability has he got?’
“When I need to go, I really need to go, otherwise it’s disaster.”
His blue disability badge is clearly displayed in the front window, directly underneath a sign which states that the space can only be used by disabled drivers.
Also prominently displayed is a Bladder and Bowel Foundation card which states: “The holder of this card has a medical condition and needs to use the toilet quickly. Please help.”
Paul, who also suffers from heart arrthymia, which causes palpitations, dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath told SalfordOnline.com: “I’m very angry.
“I’ve been parking there for four years, and the council have only just put a loading sign there but have not removed the disabled parking sign.”
He asks the warden in the video: “Couldn’t you have used your discretion for disabled parking?”
Paul added: “It was totally misleading on the part of Manchester City Council.
“My advice to any other disabled drivers who find themselves in this situation is to always appeal straightaway.
“I went to Manchester Town Hall but got fobbed off, so I appealed online and when I’d sent all my video evidence and pictures I got a response, and I’m not exaggerating here, within about 10 minutes.”
After Paul appealed to Manchester City Council the authority admitted the signage was confusing and
decided to quash the ticket.
It added in a letter that it would remove the ‘Disabled badge holders only’ sign to prevent further mistakes.
A Manchester City Council spokesman said: “These disabled parking bays were removed recently but unfortunately this sign was left in error.
“We would like to apologise to this motorist and assure him that the sign has now been removed. The ticket should not have been issued in this case and has now been cancelled.”
