A ROYAL Bolton Hospital worker is “appalled” after being handed a raft of parking tickets when she has left her car in disabled spaces despite displaying her blue badge.
Company ParkingEye has issued the member of staff a trio of fines for parking at the hospital site and she says her colleagues have also been issues with penalties.
The employee says “people were clapping for NHS and all key workers” only weeks ago.
But now she points out that hospital workers are being asked to pay for fines when they parking up for work.
Fines that have been handed to the hospital employee by ParkingEye
Police cars outside the Royal Bolton Hospital on a Thursday night at 8pm where people gathered during lockdown to clap for carers
The staff member said: “I am absolutely appalled that I have a received three parking fines from the new company that monitor car parking on the hospital site.
“ParkingEye has in recent weeks sent out parking fines to staff who also pay through their wage to allow for parking on the site.
“It was only a matter of weeks ago that people were clapping for NHS and all key workers, still working during the global pandemic but are now having to pay fines for going to work.
“I myself have a valid disability badge, which is always on display when I go to work yet I have received three parking fines for parking in the disability bays.
“I am absolutely appalled that myself and my colleagues are being subject to these fines when we all work really hard to ensure that our patients are cared for on a daily basis 24/7.
“Although we have appealed the fines, none of us have heard anything back from the company responsible but fear that if we don’t pay, we may ultimately be taken to court.”
ParkingEye says staff has its own internal system for staff parking permits and blue badge access.
The company confirmed the worker has appealed the case and it is being reviewed
A ParkingEye spokesman said: “Staff members are able to register for a blue badge permit through the internal permit application process.
“Blue badge holders can also register via the iFM car park management office.”
The hospital has responded to the reports of the fine as well.
The entrance to the Royal Bolton Hospital
Director of Integrated Facilities Management (iFM), part of the hospital trust, Lesley Wallace, said: “We are not currently charging NHS employees as part of the ongoing arrangements to support staff as they continue to work through the pandemic.
“Payment for car parking through the payroll system has been suspended since March.
“We introduced the planned automatic number plate system at the start of August which is designed to help make sure all available parking space at the hospital is used effectively and that cars are parked appropriately.
“Fines are only payable by staff if they have either not registered their vehicle for the correct permit or are not parking in the correct staff car park.
“Parking for blue badge holders will always be free but staff must register their vehicles on the registration system so that the cameras can recognise the vehicle as having a blue badge permit.
“An appeals process is in place with the provider of automatic number plate recognition, ParkingEye, and we will be making sure that information regarding the car parking system is reissued to help avoid incurring unnecessary fines.”
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