Hospital staff face fines for parking on red lines

Red lines have been painted round the car parks at Dudley's main hospital to show staff where they can and cannot leave their cars as part of controversial new parking arrangements.

Workers at Russells Hall Hospital who are caught flouting the rules by parking on a red line will be fined £15.

Hospital bosses said the move would prevent staff from being blocked in by other drivers and improve access routes to the car parks.

Workers would be fined as a last resort, they said. It comes after plans to introduce a parking permit scheme were thrown into chaos because of a dispute over who was allowed a space.

Companies running some hospital services have now refused to apply new parking restrictions to their workers.

Everyone has now been granted temporary access to the staff car parks on a first-come-first-served basis.

The hospital is monitoring traffic flow around the site at peak times.

But one worker, who did not wish to be named, said: "I understand the hospital is under pressure to reduce the number of people driving to work but they should be working with the staff, not against them.

"Painting these red lines is just going to upset them even more." Unison representative Tracy Wood said a review of the car parking arrangements was needed.

Chief executive Paula Clark said: "We have taken steps to ensure that staff are no longer inconvenienced by being blocked in their spaces by other car park users and also to make sure there is clear access around the car parks. Fining staff will only be used as a last resort."