A parking ticket left on a vehicle in Portadown despite a note saying the driver was waiting on an ambulance has been successfully appealed.
The incident happened in the West Street area of the town on January 15, when a traffic warden disregarded a note left by a staff member of a nearby Boots chemist to vouch for the illness of the driver, who was experiencing a cardiac episode.
At the time, it was highlighted by Upper Bann DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley, who said the scenario could have been avoided with a “simple conversation” between the warden and the person who left the note.
Read more: Vehicle ticketed in Portadown despite note to say driver was awaiting ambulance in nearby shop
Armagh I subsequently contacted the Department for Infrastructure, who said that traffic wardens are trained to carry out their duty in a “consistent fashion”, leaving no scope for them to apply discretion when carrying out their duties.
They added: “PCNs [Penalty Charge Notices] can however be cancelled following an appeal if there are mitigating circumstances and supporting evidence can be provided.”
On Thursday, Mr Buckley said that the appeal lodged by his office had been accepted by the Department.
He said: “I am glad to update that this parking ticket has now been successfully appealed by my office – and much more importantly, that the person involved is making steady progress with their recovery.”
