Staff at a dental office have been slapped with fines totaling almost £ 500 over believing they were following council guidelines on parking during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Laurence Baum, who runs the dental care center in High Road, North Finchley, said seven Penalty Notices (PCNs) – six for £ 60 and one for £ 110 – had been issued to staff in his practice in recent years weeks.
Tips on a Barnet Council webpage told health and care workers they could leave their cars in council-run parking lots free of charge and on simple yellow lines – as long as they didn’t cause harm. ‘obstruction. Made during the pandemic, the concessions do not expire until June 21.
The webpage said they were required to display a government-issued Covid-19 parking card issued by their employer, a copy of their NHS ID card or a letter on letterhead from their employer confirming their status.
Dr Baum said: ‘The council slapped me and my staff with a lot of tickets and didn’t seem to be interested, although they advertise that we can still park – the website says until the 21st. June.
“My staff were intimidated not to park or pay. I decided to take a copy of the website and the details and stick it to the permit, and got a ticket anyway.
“They only talk about key workers and don’t seem to know what’s going on at all. ”
The town hall’s web page with parking instructions
Dr Baum said most tickets were issued in the nearby Lodge Lane car park or while he was parked on a single yellow line – where he left his car so other members of the public could use dedicated parking spaces for shopping.
“I had this about six months ago,” he said. “It went to the London Court of Appeal, they canceled the ticket, then I didn’t hear anything for six months.
“It’s terrible, really. They intimidate everyone. ”
A spokesperson for the Barnet Council said the concessions “should be aimed at people involved in providing intensive care or who may find that they are often called upon to continue providing care on short notice” – although this was not indicated on the web page.
Admitting that the information on the web page “may not be clear to everyone,” the spokesperson said the NCPs had now been canceled.
The council spokesperson said: “Healthcare concessions should be aimed at those who are involved in the delivery of intensive care or who may find that they are often called upon to continue providing care on short notice. , especially physicians assisting in the delivery of Covid-19 related issues.
“However, we recognize that while most non-emergency healthcare providers did not use this concession, the information on the website may not have been clear to all.
“On this occasion we have canceled the PCNs, and while we would be happy to see Dr Baum and his team join other parking users and pay for his parking stays, we will not apply if he continues to display letter of concession before June 21 days.
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-09 11:23:20
