A MOTORIST is disgusted with the council's refusal to refund his fine given while performing a kindly act - despite the government's parking watchdog agreeing it was unfair.
Jerome O'Shea admits he broke the law when he stopped at the bus stop outside Northolt Station in Mandeville Road on Christmas Eve.
But he insists there was no danger to other drivers and it was the only way his disabled relative Michael Rivers, of Millway Gardens, Northolt, could spend Christmas with his family.
Mr O'Shea, 50, of Eastcote, said: “It was a harsh winter and the pavements were icy. My wife's cousin Michael has lost part of his foot through diabetes and has to use crutches so it was impossible for him to walk to Northolt Station.
“I offered to give him a lift, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to visit his brother in Gillingham and he would have been alone at home for Christmas.”
Shortly afterwards Mr O'Shea received a £100 fine and, when the council rejected his mitigating circumstances, he took his case to the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service (PATAS).
At a hearing in April the adjudicator sympathised but said because Mr O'Shea had broken the law he could not overturn the fine. Instead he wrote to the council suggesting it cancelled the fine.
But last Thursday the council told Mr O'Shea it could not do as the adjudicator suggested because he had parked dangerously.
A spokeswoman insisted there were other, safer places to park which would have allowed Mr Rivers to reach the station despite his disability.
But Mr O'Shea disagrees, he added: “They said they could've cancelled the ticket if I had parked further down from the bus stop but there are railings either side of it and he couldn't have walked from my car if I had parked further away.
“I made sure there were no buses around when I pulled in, I wouldn't have done it otherwise.
“It's not about the money, it's a point of principle. I think it's atrocious.”
Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for Transport and Environment, said:"Everyone who uses Northolt station knows there are other more appropriate locations to drop off passengers than at the bus stop.
“The CCTV images show this driver clearly parked illegally and he got a ticket which was upheld by the Parking Adjudicator.
“To ensure the system is fair to all drivers, the council has to take a consistent approach, if people break regulations they will be given a ticket. Drivers should always plan their journeys including finding safe drop-off or parking points."
