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Blackburn grandad's mobility car clamped while he was in hospital (From Blackburn Citizen)
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Blackburn grandad's mobility car clamped while he was in hospital
8:00am Thursday 2nd July 2009
A GRANDAD’s mobility vehicle was clamped – after parking wardens ticketed his blue badge car while he was in hospital.
Parking tickets were issued to 52-year-old Gary Calvert while he was in hospital recovering from a heart attack because his car was parked outside his home in Accrington Road in Blackburn.
This was despite his neigh-bour telling Blackburn with Darwen Council about his hospitalisation and that the car could not be moved. Under strict insurance rules for his mobility vehicle, nobody but Gary can drive the car, not even a police officer.
Now, after baliff firm Equita and the council were contacted by the Lancashire Telegraph, the clamp has been removed.
Gary, who suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmo-nary Disease, a lung disorder known as COPD, emphysema and has had two heart attacks, was given the tickets after numerous health emergencies led to a stay in hospital.
He tried but failed to challenge the tickets and the fines, now worth £2,625, have been passed to Equita, who clamped his car.
Under the parking scheme in Accrington Road, residents are only allowed to park at certain times. Usually Gary must move his car daily to the other side of the street. The retired bus dri-ver received his first parking tickets between April and June last year when taken into hospital suddenly six times for severe emphysema attacks.
He said: “It was impossible to contact parking services. I would call them up and it was all recorded messages until my credit was gone.”
Last month Gary had two heart attacks, spending a total of two weeks in hospital. Although a neighbour called the council to tell them of the problem, Gary was given even more tickets.
A spokesman for bailiff firm Equita said they would be happy to assist in any way possible. Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive member for regeneration and environment Coun Alan Cottam said that they were considering cancelling the tickets, after seeing some proof of hospital visits.
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Your Say YourCitizen
jackmetickler, Plymouth says...
9:15am Thu 2 Jul 09
Ya breaks the rules ya suffers the consequences - disabled or not.
Kevin, Colne, Colne says...
9:21am Thu 2 Jul 09
Very often a person with a comprehensive motor insurance policy will find that the policy conditions permit them to drive another car with the consent of the owner and be covered Third Party. Does the mobility scheme precluide the owner from giving such consent?
Secondly I would have thought that a police officer when on duty is covered by insurance when driving any other vehicle in the exercise of their duties. In fact I would imagine that the police will carry their own insurance with a catastrophe policy to off-set those risks that are too big for the authorty to shoulder.
Can anyone enlighten me on this?
stealer, aspull says...
11:26am Thu 2 Jul 09
illogical that the car could not be moved,even impounded,if causing an obstruction by being left in an unauthorised location.
I would have thought
that emergency arrangements could have been arranged following Mr Calvert's first incident. I feel sure the authorities
will consider all the facts when reaching their conclusions!
In answer to you query I suggest,'Yes
probably'.
HarwoodBiker, Great Harwood says...
12:39pm Thu 2 Jul 09
Also, the mobility scheme does allow you to have more than one named driver on the car. Why doesn't he add a friend or family to the insurance to move it for him?
King Kenny, Blackburn says...
1:18pm Thu 2 Jul 09
Brian Todd, Blackburn says...
2:12pm Thu 2 Jul 09
What sort of human empathy does this demonstarte? A contact via the employee Chief Executive of the Primary Care Trust to a Comissioned service Ryal Blackburn Hospital would produce eh "evidence" internally to the Council thourg the joint appointment and thus resolve the problem without outting al the resposnibility and stress on the patient> The whole point of a Joint Appointment was to help wih stupid isues like this.
Auite disgraceful example of lack of concern and initiative on the part of our elected Councillors
disgusted tunbridge wells, rossendale says...
3:28pm Thu 2 Jul 09
joany49, Rishton says...
3:54pm Thu 2 Jul 09
brfcianbrfc, blackburn says...
5:09pm Thu 2 Jul 09
disgusted tunbridge wells wrote:Thought it was a charity
Lots of people who wouldn't get insurance in normal circumstances are driving round in Motability cars and lots of these cars have more than one driver, it's a buisness not a charity and what has "Grandad got to do with it?
Parly, Whalley says...
5:16pm Thu 2 Jul 09
"Can't move it I'm afraid - it's a MOTABILITY car. Somebody call in the Bomb Disposal Unit..."
RAyzer, BURNLEY says...
5:18pm Thu 2 Jul 09
Kernal Knut, Somewhere Out There says...
6:39pm Thu 2 Jul 09
RAyzer wrote:I don't believe it RAyzer I am actually agreeing with you on this one. Most of the stuff you write on here is garbage but for once you are correct. There are some people (you know who you are)flying around on electric wheelchairs who to my mind are overweight and don't need these contraptions because they should make an attempt to lose a few pounds, then maybe they will feel much fitter and stronger to take that trip to the off- license for their booze and fags. This comment of course applies to the 1% who abuse the system.
this case is disgusting..but why are so many people claiming to be disabled these days??you cant park anywere for disabilty spaces!!!this guy is disabled,what about rest??most are just obease and there legs cant carry them..thats there OWN fault,not the tax payers
retired one, Blackburn says...
8:15pm Thu 2 Jul 09
If this man is so ill with recurring heart-attacks etc. surely he is a liability and a danger to other road users and shouldn't be allowed to drive anyway.
RAyzer, BURNLEY says...
8:57pm Thu 2 Jul 09
Kernal Knut wrote:i like the last minute change of heart..ONE PERCENT??!!come on id say 50%,AT LEAST..theres loads of over weight folk who dont work who sit at home feeling sorry for them selves...get labour out and itl change
RAyzer wrote: this case is disgusting..but why are so many people claiming to be disabled these days??you cant park anywere for disabilty spaces!!!this guy is disabled,what about rest??most are just obease and there legs cant carry them..thats there OWN fault,not the tax payersI don't believe it RAyzer I am actually agreeing with you on this one. Most of the stuff you write on here is garbage but for once you are correct. There are some people (you know who you are)flying around on electric wheelchairs who to my mind are overweight and don't need these contraptions because they should make an attempt to lose a few pounds, then maybe they will feel much fitter and stronger to take that trip to the off- license for their booze and fags. This comment of course applies to the 1% who abuse the system.
G I MOZZO, blackburn says...
9:20pm Thu 2 Jul 09
stealer, aspull says...
10:17pm Thu 2 Jul 09
,
why not stick to the
subject! People become incapacitated
for various reasons!
I don't know the chap
nor,I suspect,do you!
Perhaps OT can give the info? The subject
in case you have forgotten is 'illegal Parking' and the issue of 'penalty charge' tickets!
Other posters please note!
stealer, aspull says...
10:28pm Thu 2 Jul 09
guy suffers with emphysema! this extremely disabling disease has nothing to do with being overweight!
I know from experience,my dad,who was slim all his life,died from the disease!
NICEONESUNSHINE, blackburn says...
10:49pm Thu 2 Jul 09
Whats more how can they justify over £2k in penalties for parking offences? What is it with them? How can they justify penalising someone so severely for parking his car on his own street when the courts are restricted to giving burglars, thiefs and thugs £150 fines?
Has anyone else got the feeling that the council have a policy that sets out to fleece the people of B&D for thousands of pounds for trivial offences?
JohnR1, Darwen says...
11:08pm Thu 2 Jul 09
Motability cars are ONLY to be driven by the owner or a named driver if the owner is in the car or the car is on the official business of the owner - however the police are exempt from the road traffic acts (when it suits them) so they could technically move it. Why should they though? It is parked outside a fellows house, the council have put parking restrictions there purely to earn revenue - why is it alright accross the street and not where he lives?
retired one, Blackburn says...
11:20pm Thu 2 Jul 09
JohnR1 wrote:There are double yellow lines on his side of the road.
People confined to wheelchairs tend to put on weight owing to their INABILITY to excercise. Motability cars are ONLY to be driven by the owner or a named driver if the owner is in the car or the car is on the official business of the owner - however the police are exempt from the road traffic acts (when it suits them) so they could technically move it. Why should they though? It is parked outside a fellows house, the council have put parking restrictions there purely to earn revenue - why is it alright accross the street and not where he lives?
Mike Hock, Spiceville says...
12:15am Fri 3 Jul 09
Kevin, Colne wrote:I would presume a Police officer would be allowed to move the car, provided they're carrying out an act within Police Law, and in the course of their duty.
I'm puzzled by the assertion that under strict insurance rules no one else can drive a mobility - or is it Motability - car.
Very often a person with a comprehensive motor insurance policy will find that the policy conditions permit them to drive another car with the consent of the owner and be covered Third Party. Does the mobility scheme precluide the owner from giving such consent?
Secondly I would have thought that a police officer when on duty is covered by insurance when driving any other vehicle in the exercise of their duties. In fact I would imagine that the police will carry their own insurance with a catastrophe policy to off-set those risks that are too big for the authorty to shoulder.
Can anyone enlighten me on this?
A Motor Trader usually has a policy that allows the 'trader' to drive any vehicle (insured by the owner or not) provided there are no exceptions imposed by the insurer. This could range from a Saxo to a Ferrari, or vans to trucks.
Motor Trade policies allow the trader to drive uninsured vehicles by nature of their policy.
Any person with any level of car insurance could drive any car (with the permission of the owner) provided the car is insured by the owner, and your own insurance states so, except for any exclusions.... high performance models are common exclusions, as is Motor Trade.
Comprehensive insurance does not usually mean you can drive any car that is insured or not. That would require a policy similar to a 'trade' policy, which is similar to what the Police will have.
Motability may impose restrictions on drivers, but I seriously doubt these will include any emergency, or Motor Trade. The Police, or Highways Agency, would have to move the car off the hard shoulder of a motorway. Likewise, a Motor Trader would have to drive the car in accordance with any servicing, or repair work, including collection and redelivery of the vehicle to the keeper.
* * * * *
Regarding the comments on Obesity....
People with COPD, asthma and other respiratory ailments are often prescribed inhalator based steroids. These steroids, which open up the respiratory tract, can often create the look of an obese person. The actual BMI (Body Mass Index) of the prescriber's is rarely in the obese category.
Furthermore, COPD is not just a smokers disease. In 20 years time we will see people who drive for a living, and have done so for some considerable time, suffering from ailments similar to COPD, and cancer.
happycyclist, Darwen says...
12:43am Fri 3 Jul 09
retired one wrote:Gotta agree. There has to be a point where a disability becomes a liability for other road users.
I can confirm that this car is hardly ever used anyway and a waste of taxpayers money.
If this man is so ill with recurring heart-attacks etc. surely he is a liability and a danger to other road users and shouldn't be allowed to drive anyway.
mazx4, blackburn says...
4:40pm Sat 4 Jul 09
CLAMP: Gary now has fines worth £2,625
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holsten pils, burnley says...
8:06am Thu 2 Jul 09