Blue Badge holders warned- don't forget your ticket

'Disabled badge holders only' parking sign.

The driver contacted the News last week to say she was ‘shocked and upset’ to discover she had received a parking ticket.

She explained she had been using one of the clearly marked disabled parking bays at the ELDC-owned car park for several months.

The woman - who asked not to be named - admitted that last week her blue badge had slipped off her car dashboard onto the driver’s seat.

She said the badge was ‘clearly visible’ through the front and side windows of her vehicle.

She drove away and it was only when she arrived home that she found the parking ticket attached to her windscreen.

The woman says she became confused about the instructions on the back of the ticket about who to speak to.

After speaking to the News, she contacted ELDC.

However, she was told the fact she had received a penalty ticket was not because her badge had slipped off the dashboard

Instead, she was informed that blue badge holders still need to pay for a ticket from one of the parking machines.

The ticket provided costs £1 for an hour but, in the case of a blue badge holders, the time limit is increased to two hours. A refund is available for Tesco shoppers.

The woman said: “It’s the first time anything like this has happened to me . I was a bit shocked and upset.

“I rang a number on the ticket but it was an automated reply and I kept being cut off.

“I got the right number for the council and a very nice lady was helpful.

“She explained the situation. I realise now I should have paid. I’m worried other blue badge holders won’t realise they have to get a ticket. It’s all confusing. All car parks seem different.”

The woman says she paid a £25 fine immediately. Had she delayed, the fee could have doubled.

An ELDC spokeswoman said: “The blue badge was clearly on display. However, the motorist concerned hadn’t purchased a ticket to park. Blue badge holders must obtain a ticket and display it alongside their blue badge, as stated on the regulation boards in the car parks. Anyone receiving a parking ticket has the right of challenge.”