Council uses helicopter to cancel parking tickets

It is one thing using Smartcars to issue PCNs but helicopters to cancel them?
View from Sheffield City Council's Parking Services Department. Perhaps common sense and discretion would be cheaper all round.



Parking fine as cabbie helps disabled woman
Sheffield Star
Published Date: 18 January 2010
By Ben James

A KIND-hearted taxi driver was slapped with a parking fine - after leaving his cab for just two minutes to help his disabled passenger into a shop.
Bernard Lindley, aged 60, from Manor, pushed 80-year-old wheelchair-bound Phyliss Kerr to a shop in Sheffield city centre.But when he returned he found a £75 parking fine on his windscreen.

Phyliss had called her regular driver and asked him to take her into the city centre from her home in Manor.Bernard could not find a parking space and parked in a loading bay on Surrey Street, behind the Town Hall.Phyliss, who was recovering from a stroke, asked Bernard to push her to the shops and when he returned he found a parking warden had struck.

She said: "I felt really weak from my stroke and was very down. Bernard would do anything for me, he's such a kind soul."

Bernard, who has been a taxi driver for 39 years, said: "I never heard of anything so outrageous. We are told by the council to take care of disabled passengers and make sure that they get to their destination ok. I've done this and they reward me with this fine."I've complied with one part of their policy and got stung by the other."

The fine was for £35 if paid within 14 days and £75 if paid after.

Phyliss said: "I think it's disgusting. He will come out anytime of the day or night for me. If I ask him to come and pick up my bags he will always help me. I don't know what I would do without him."

The council has now promised to refund Bernard after The Star stepped in. Sheffield Council head of parking services Kevin Butt said: "After looking at this and taking more of a helicopter view I can see an argument in both directions."We have therefore decided in this case to fully refund Mr Lindley."