A taxi driver was slapped with a parking ticket while serving to a blind passenger right into a pharmacy.
Gary Fox was charged £70 after parking in a disabled parking area in Middleton on Tuesday.
The 60-year-old, who has been a cab driver for 15 years, stated he was away from the automobile ‘for 2 or three minutes on the most’ as he helped his common buyer Lenny Nicholson to get a prescription.
He was then ‘shocked’ to see a visitors warden slapping a parking ticket onto his display screen as he didn’t have a blue badge.
His appeals in opposition to the advantageous have all been unsuccessful.
Mr Fox informed Manchester Night Information: ‘I took Mr Nicholson from the automobile to the counter within the chemist and obtained somebody to help him. I left the automobile for 2 or three minutes on the most.
‘I used to be shocked. I had solely simply taken him into the chemist and got here straight again. It was unbelievable. The visitors warden simply got here from nowhere.
‘There isn’t a approach he has not seen me taking the man into the chemist. Why not suppose there’s a good man serving to a blind man?’
Based on Mr Fox, the visitors warden stated it was ‘not his drawback’ after explaining he had been serving to a blind buyer.
Nonetheless the taxi driver doesn’t remorse his actions, and would readily assist Mr Nicholson once more.
He stated: ‘My job is to help aged and disabled individuals once I take them in my taxi, I’ve by no means encountered something like this earlier than. I’m disgusted and disenchanted.
‘What occurs subsequent time? Do I say “you must make your personal approach as a result of I can’t cease right here?”
‘I might really feel very nervous however I’d nonetheless do the very same factor once more. I might not let the passenger down, particularly in the event that they had been disabled.’
Rochdale council stated: ‘Folks with out disabilities who park in disabled bays take areas away from the individuals who really want them. This may imply individuals with mobility issues having to stroll longer distances and even being unable to succeed in their vacation spot.
‘All drivers, however particularly skilled drivers like Mr Fox, needs to be conscious that it’s a authorized requirement to show a blue badge whereas parking in a disabled bay and never having one can result in a penalty cost discover being issued.
‘It needs to be famous that whether or not or not you drive a car, disabled persons are eligible to use for a Blue Badge to be used as a passenger.’
Get in contact with our information staff by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For extra tales like this, verify our information web page.