Rogue parkers in Walsall beware
Thursday 20th May 2010, 9:00PM BST.
Six cars were towed away from streets near Walsall Manor Hospital as a crackdown on rogue parkers was stepped up.
Nine drivers were also issued with £30 fines at the start of the three-day blitz in streets on the Alumwell estate.
Residents have fought a long-running battle against drivers parking near junctions, blocking bus and ambulance routes and even on double yellow lines.
Police believe drastic action was needed after an ambulance could not get down one street because of bad parkers – with a paramedic forced to run the rest of the way to an injured woman’s house.
The crackdown is targeting drivers in Forrester Street, Moat Road, Manor Road, Ida Road and Scarborough Road.
PCSO Sid Retnasingham said: “This operation has gone well so far.
“When we talk to the drivers some say they were visiting businesses in the locality and others say they had an appointment at the hospital.
“They don’t seem to realise their bad parking causes major problems in terms of road safety, by blocking the vision for other motorists and prevents emergency vehicles from getting to properties.”
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If there was adequete parking at the hospital and no rip off prices people wouldn’t be tempted to park illeagally or incosiderately
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Nothing to do with the extortionate car parking charges at the hospital of course! The £30 fine is probably the cheaper option.
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Perhaps Council jobsworths should concentrate on finding more places where drivers can park their vehicles rather than where they can’t park them – then they would do a service for everybody (or aren’t they in the customer service business?)
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Frank there is somewhere to park…it’s called a car park.
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It is about time!!! The parking has been chronic around here for ages and nothing has been done. Residents and drivers, especially buses cannot get through these roads. There are always tons of cars on moat rd on both sides. About time, the message was hammered home that the area is not a huge car park!
Maybe Walsall council can do something about the Lorries thundering through the estate at night, and actually turn Scarborough close into a close again!
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Get rid of the parking charges. Problem solved.
Rocket scientist I am.
Ever stop to wonder who these people are and why they are parking like that. They probably have a relative who is very sick and they can’t afford to park. They might have had to rush there Kid into the hospital and forgotten their wallet. Great day you’ve made it for them now.
I had to leave my girlfriend alone and scared in A&E in the middle of the night because I hadn’t got any money on me. I had to drive home and then find somewhere open to get change. It was nearly an our before I got back to her.
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For those of you who may moan, it’s quite simple….. DON’T BREAK THE LAW.
I also find it unbelievable when so-called disabled drivers park on yellow lines away from the hospital!
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Britain is all about punishment these days. The Councils have powers to fine but no responsibility to achieve answers to the problems. Parking at Hospitals is a disgrace. No one WANTS to have to go there, so we are punished because we do. I feel sorry for the local residents, but I’ve parked in their streets on the odd occasion.
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Hi Cyril
It cost £4.00 the other morning when I took Bill for his operation.
Pauline x x x x x
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If people don’t like being fined or towed then simply don’t park there. Hospital car park isn’t that expensive, and no-one deserves to have their road or driveway blocked by visiting motorists.
Maybe people would prefer if the council simply made the entire area double yellow lines?
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‘Hospital car park isn’t that expensive’ er yes it is. Especially if your in A&E and you have no idea how long you’ll be there for. A friend of mine had to pay nearly £70 after going to A&E then finding he had to stay over for a few nights. Very cheap.
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Thats an exteree example, Im sure the hospital would have made an exception in this case – did he ask ?
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Dear Express & Star ,
This Problem with Hospital Staff and Vistors parking on the Side Street around the Hospital has been going on for Years .
Having Monitored Scarborough Rd , Manor Rd , Forrester St , Drayton St , Ida rd , Flaxhall St and Seen Staff from the Hospital Parking on theses roads and even blocking Residents Drives it have caused problems it has reduced theses Roads to one Way System so vehicles can only travel one way , Buses have got caught in Queues on Scarborough rd , Even emergency vehicles have not been able to pass.
On Scarborough Rd Residents have Trouble getting out of the drives with Staff vehicles at the side and in front of them parked it is hard to see oncoming Vehilces and turn out of there drive and into them .
Manor Rd , Forrester st where nearly all the Vehicles are Staff l have even spoken to Residents who have to Park on next street or futher out as even staff park there, Residents in wheel chairs , Use Walking sticks have to walk all the way home ,Parents with babys have to carry them in rain bacause
staff parked all along there street ,residents have to carry shopping from car to there homes they all can’t park outside there homes . Street after street is blocked with staff /vistors to hospital.
residents say they have to Drive around for parking space . this problem of parking is happening days a week nearly all the streets mentioned .
Some times like Mamor Rd , Forrester st the Bins have not been emptied for weeks even months even there streets have not be cleaned with litter every where council say they can’t get there Trucks up theses roads to clean them beacuse of Staff vehicles .
the Simply Solution is Parking permits for Residents on Manor rd & Forrester st , which they have asked for but council done nothing , yet Moat rd , Wilbraham rd next to Hospital have been given permit so why should theses residents not ?
on Scarborough Rd Double yellow lines are needed outside shelley campus !
Also yellow lines ouside residents drives so Staff and Vistors don’t block drive .
The Hopsital should have Considered this Parking issues and problem well before the hopsital was Built it is just Bad Planning !
The Police Resources and time is taken up in Dealing with this Parking problem for Years , when they could have spent this time on more important crimes .
Both Council and Hospital have powers to deal with this Problem and sitting down and sorting this out lets see Action talken !
In the End it the Residents on Theses Streets who suffer , Staff at hospital don’t live here so reaaly don’t apprecaite the problems they are causing the residents which does effect there quilty of life on theses streets , Maybe Staff should put themselve in residents position and think before they park the problems they can cause .
Pictures taken over the year or so highlight this big problem if anyone doubt this is a problem speak to residenst , Police we can show you the problems Staff vehicles are causing !
we hope the Council will Address this problem as they have powers to give Parking permits to residents and put Yellow lines where needed ,
the Hopsital needs to provide More parking space and Not Charge so much for Parking for it staff , Vistors whould not be Charged .
Sooner this is sorted out the better for Residents & community , Police time is not used up , Staff , Vistors happy , also council will not get complaints on matter .
Regards
Arjun Chand
Community Crime Fighter
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Shelley Campus , as mentioned by the last writer, belongs to Walsall college and is no longer used. Perhaps the hospital could approach the colelge and pay a small fee to allow their staff to park on the site. This would take some of the staff cars off the surrounding streets.
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If you can afford to drive a car, you can afford to spare a few quid for parking. The National Health Service is free in this country, what more do these inconsiderate, tight-fisted people want.
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Well said big Al! Some people expect everything for nothing these days! They are happy to spend £20 in the pub but moan about £2 to park…get your priorities right!
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Regarding the parking problem around the Manor Hospital it really is about time it was sorted out. As Pleck neighbourhood watch coordinator for Pleck Road we also have our share of parking problems from staff from the Manor Hospital who pull up early in the morning and take up a car parking space all day, how do I know its staff from the Manor Hospital? Because most of them had stethoscopes around their necks (probably doctors).
Several months ago at the Alumwell neighbourhood watch meeting the police asked the 50 to 60 residents who attend what they would like the police to concentrate on, overwhelmingly it was parking problems caused by hospital staff. The police have done exactly what those residents had asked them to do go after the illegal parkers who are putting Alumwell residents in danger.
I would like people to know that over many many months the crime figures for the Alumwell area has decreased significantly thanks to our neighbourhood police team however having to spend valuable time rounding up illegal parkers is definitely not helping this current downward crime trend so maybe it’s time for Walsall Council to intervene and sort it out one way or another after all if someone is on a doctor’s salary and cannot afford or just won’t park on the parking spaces provided this problem will never be resolved or do we have to wait for someone to die because the emergency services could not get to the house to help them I certainly hope not
Greg
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I agree with all of the above comments around the problem of parking around the Manor Hospital I would like to thank and support the police for all hard work they are having to put in to try to resolve this problem for us but I think a £30 fine for parking dangerously and possibly putting residents life in danger if not enough.
If as being mentioned Walsall Council could solve this problem maybe the Alumwell residents would be better off getting a petition together to show just what a problem the Manor Hospital is causing.
ABC
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The Hospital can provide another 3,000 Carpark spaces for Staff at the Hospital , but will they use them .
Yes some will use the carpark , but want l have found and took evidence [ pictures ]of is that Staff at Manor hospital have payed for a Carpark space at the Hospital or at Wilcox site given Outzone or inner zone Carpark sticker to put on there windscreen .
But On Manor rd, Forrester St , Scaborough Rd and even ida rd and Flaxhall st they Park on theses streets even thou they have payed for the Carpark space , a lot of Evidence has been given to the hospital on this .
So if the Staff are paying to use the Carpark hospital has provided , but they are not using it , it stops other staff using that caraprk space and really wasting there money if staff have money to throw away like this can they given it to Council to Put yellow lines where needed and provide parking permits for Residents ?.
So there is No Gaurattee that even if Carpark space is Provided , some staff will just think it is Easier to park on Side streets as happeneing now.
so Solution if for the Council to provide parking permits for Residents on Manor rd , Forrester st , also other streets having problems .
Also put double Yellow line on Scarborough rd outside shelley Campus .
This way the Staff and vistors to the Hospital have no choose but use the Carpark Space hospital has provided .
Simply solution but as Ussally Council take it time , thinking it is Police problem or manor hospital .
or how about Manor Hospital helping to pay for Parking permits for Residents on Manor rd , Forrester st , and put yellow lines where needed else where lam sure the Hospital has enough reveune from Staff / Vistors using the Carpark .
this Problem will not be Resolved even when the hospital is open in fact it will make the parking Situation Worse on theses steets mentioned !
to the Council lets see Action to resolve this and less talk and meeting on this !
Enough time has been wasted and Nothing done !
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How can they complain that cars are blocking the road when there’s enough room for a vehicle thats towing them away.
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if u need to attend the hospital for A+E and operations and so on you shouldnt need to pay to park.. i had to attend the manor because i was pregnant and bleeding threatening to miscarry and ended up being there for over 8 hours because they were short staffed and believe me it didnt cost £2 to park it was a complete rip off, ive also been made aware that i will have to have a c-section and if i go into labour before an emergancy c-section and what do you suppose the parking charges will come to for my partner my babys father to stay at the hospital and support me through that will be?? its a rip off and people shouldnt have to pay.. and some people simply cant afford too ,some with sick children or fail elderly relatives, they should abolish charges then there wouldnt be any problems with parking in the side streets :-(
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A multi-storey near the hospital with pay-by-card facilities… There. Was that too difficult to come up with?
Come on town planning. You can do better.
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