By
Lee Lixenberg
Jewish Care is pleading with Redbridge Council parking chiefs to adopt a common sense approach to drivers leaving their cars near the Vi and John Rubens and Dennis centres in Gants Hill, following complaints about over-officious wardens.
Among the complainants is Chigwell pensioner Stanley Posner, who was given a parking ticket outside Rubens House while visiting his 101-year-old mother-in-law.
“I was absolutely furious,” said Mr Posner, 70. “My mother-in law’s blue [disabled] badge was clearly visible on the dashboard, but because one section overlapped the other slightly, they gave me a ticket.
“What annoyed me even more was seeing a Dial-a-Ride vehicle — clearly taking people to the Dennis Centre up the road — with a parking ticket the following day.”
Accusing wardens of being “unnecessarily officious”, Mr Posner added: “They know full well that there are number of vehicles parked in Clarence Avenue belonging to visitors to the two centres.”
Jewish Care community services director Neil Taylor told the JC of his disappointment at the problems experienced by volunteers and visitors to the centres, which cater for elderly residents and dementia sufferers. He has written to the council appealing for Mr Posner’s penalty to be cancelled.
“We would like the council to consider the needs of our clients at the centres — and access to the centres is extremely important.”
A council spokesman urged disabled visitors to apply for blue badges and drivers of disability vehicles and coaches to make use of the nearby ambulance bay.
“We are always happy to look into problems concerning people with disabilities and investigate individual penalty notices.”
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