Carers delivering meals among those hit with fines in parking clampdown
Carers delivering meals to elderly people are among those being hit with fines after a clampdown on rail commuters parking in streets near a station.
Strict parking measures have been introduced in Rectory Road, Rectory Gardens and Rectory Close, Oldswinford, by Dudley Council to stop motorists clogging up the roads near to Stourbridge Junction train station.
Single yellow lines mean no parking from 10am to 11am on one side of the road and noon to 1pm on the other.
But while residents admit the move has solved one problem it has created another with guests visiting people in the street and healthcare visitors ending up with £35 fines.
And neighbours have voiced concerns about what they have described as over-zealous parking officers who now keep watch in the street with tickets at the ready.
Resident Adam Morris said: “We asked the council to put the system in place and, to be fair, it has worked because people aren’t just dumping their cars on the street all day.
“However, it has now seen all the residents who have been used to parking outside their own homes being ticketed.
“There are a lot of people in their 80s and 90s, with some getting meals delivered by carers who are getting ticketed too.”
The 39-year-old, who said he had received two tickets himself, said he had asked the council for help, but felt they weren’t interested.
He said: “I’ve asked them whether we could get a residents’ pass that we could give to guests to put in their windows or the elderly people can give to their carers. However, we were told no and whether that’s because they’d have to spend extra money on signs, I don’t know, but it felt like a very abrupt no.”
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environmental, highways and street services, said: “Following complaints from residents about people parking in the street all day, while going to work, single yellow lines were introduced to prevent parking for one hour on weekdays only.
“This operates from 10am to 11am on one side of the road and noon to 1pm on the other.
“This allows for parking at all times throughout the day, but prevents people from leaving vehicles there all day.”
