Disabled drivers falling foul of reduction in parking times

Disabled badge holders, who are used to parking for up to three hours, are getting £30 fixed penalty tickets for breaching the limits.

But Durham County Council recognises half an hour is insufficient time and plans to increase the limit to one hour.

Irene Slatter, of Nevilles Cross, got a ticket for parking just over 30 minutes, opposite Argos, in North Road.

"The cars in the other two bays had tickets. I realised that on the pole it said waiting limited to half an hour," she said.

"In New Elvet, where they have put new bays in, you can park for three hours and the orange badge says you can have three hours - that's the time you automatically think you can stay."

Financial advisor David Teasdale, of Chilton Moor, Houghton-le-Spring, was given a ticket after parking for an hour and 45 minutes in a bay next to the Milburngate Centre.

Mr Teasdale, who has a disabled badge because his son, Christopher, is severely autistic, said: "Many disabled people just would not expect the waiting time to be just half an hour.

"I had no clue whatsoever that I couldn't be there for up to three hours.

"Every bit of documentation you get with an orange badge says that you cannot park for more than three hours.

"The irony is that there are many areas with double yellow lines where you can legitimately park if you have an orange badge.''

Mr Teasdale said that he was angry that when he explained the circumstances to the police they did not waive the £30 penalty.

A county council spokesman said disabled drivers - like others - had to look for signs and heed them.

"The disabled bays are for drivers visiting shops in the immediate vicinity.

"But we are aware that in some cases, particularly where a person is a wheelchair user, half an hour may be insufficient.

"We are in the process of extending the stay from half an hour to an hour.''

He said free disabled bays were available in the Milburngate Shopping Centre car park.