A Newry Hospice volunteer was issued with a parking ticket in the city whilst sending off urgent samples for assessment.
The incident occured last week, the male had been in a rush to post off samples so he parked partially on a double yellow line of Railway Avenue as he ran into the Post Office.
All volunteers have a laminated sign to put on the dash of cars to let traffic wardens know that they are on urgent business but when he returned he found the warden writing up a ticket.
Despite explaining this, the warden did not believe what the volunteer was telling him.
Newry SDLP Councillor Michael Savage said “I fully appreciate that traffic wardens have a job to do and support them in doing that but there are times when common sense, discretion and compassion should be applied and this was one of them.
“I have asked the Hospice to put a verification contact number on the signs so that wardens can check that the vehicle is owned by a legitimate Hospice volunteer and avoid any further confusion.
“I would appeal to the wardens to show compassion and discretion in instances like this.
“I will be appealing this man’s ticket and trust that the Department will apply the discretion that should have been shown by the warden at the scene.”
