Imraan Ishtiaq, Conservative candidate for Battle ward, is backing a local resident who has been given an unwarranted parking ticket. Battle resident Gareth Aldridge explains that he was fined £30 after his parking permit fell off his dashboard.
Mr Aldridge said: “It should be simple enough for Reading Borough Council to realise that I have paid for my permit and waive the fine which I got when cold weather in January caused my cardboard permit to curl up and drop from my dashboard. One check on the system should have told them I have a permit – it’s registered to my car.”
He added: “I work for a technology company and I would be willing to give them a one-day workshop where we can show them how much money they’re wasting on admin with all the letters they have to send and how much it costs them when people go through the whole system and get the fines.”
Imraan said: “It’s disgusting really – it’s just common sense. The parking wardens were just doing their job but didn’t see the permit – I can understand that. But it’s only a minute’s work to establish that he lives here and has a permit. They should just forget about it. Every penny counts at times like these and this is taxpayers’ money that’s being wasted to pursue things like this.”
Mr Aldridge has made a complaint to the council and plans to make a formal appeal.
For full article, please visit getreading.co.uk. Picture: Mike Englefield, Reading Post. Published in Reading Post on April 11 2012.