Surrey blue badge holder 'furious' she was asked to 'prove' she was disabled to appeal parking fine
A blue badge holder says she is "furious" after being asked to "prove she was disabled" while trying to appeal a parking fine.
Nicola Burnett, from Burpham, Surrey had parked on a double yellow line at The Royal Surrey Hospital after being unable to find a free disabled space.
The 53-year-old was there for an interview and when she returned half an hour later, she found that she, and six other cars, had been given a ticket.
Blue badge holders are allowed to park on double yellow lines but not in private car parks.
The fine is for £80, or £48 if paid within 14 days, which she described as unaffordable.
Ms Burnett said: “I saw I had a parking ticket. I was furious. I was so angry and so upset, I was crying. It felt so wrong.
“I got home and immediately went online to appeal it. I sent the appeal off and then, I had an email from [Horizon] two days later asking me to send medical proof of my disability.
“The very fact that I have a blue badge, and drive a car that I lease through Motability should be enough proof.
"It's very hard to get a blue badge. I sent them photographs of my injuries. I kicked up a storm. I emailed them back and said I'm not doing that. I refuse to pay the fine.
“I refuse to pay the fine. I'm putting my foot down. I'm fighting this tooth and nail now. I suppose it's just the principle of it.”
Ms Burnett, who has had a blue badge for about seven years as she has mobility issues, does not believe she should have to hand over sensitive personal data to appeal the fine.
She added: “I can't walk any distance, I have to use sticks. Usually, I have to have two sticks to walk with but I only had one thinking I wouldn't have to walk very far, but I did.”
She also says she had gone around the car park three times and was unable to find a free disabled space, before deciding to join other disabled car users who had parked on the double yellow lines.
A Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “Royal Surrey provides 73 disabled spaces and we have made all the disabled bays as close to the hospital as possible.
"We will also be reinstating nine disabled spaces next to Royal Surrey Cancer Centre in the coming weeks, which were moved further from the hospital building due to essential building works. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
“We regularly review our car parking arrangements, and will continue to do so to ensure that our services are easily accessed by patients and visitors.”
The Royal Surrey does not manage Horizon, who issued the ticket. As with other NHS car parks, disabled patients and visitors can receive free parking for the duration of their attendance at, or visit to, the hospital.
Horizon has been approached for comment but did not supply a response by the time of publication.
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