A disabled woman has told of her frustration after she was handed a parking ticket despite having a blue badge. Maria Trivigno, of Thorneywood, was fined after parking on Bath Street, near Victoria Leisure Centre.
The 56-year-old said she cannot walk long distances due to her mobility issues. She had a hip replacement, and started to attend the centre on Gedling Street twice a week for swimming, which is a "vital" part of her recovery.
She said that she usually parks opposite the leisure centre on Bath Street, where there are two disabled parking spaces. But on February 12, she decided to park behind the designated area, which is marked 'no loading', as the two spaces were already occupied.
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When she returned to her vehicle, Ms Trivigno had a parking fine. She appealed the £35 ticket to Nottingham City Council, and deemed the situation "ridiculous".
Nottingham City Council said the penalty charge notice was issued because Ms Trivigno had left her car in a space marked ‘no loading’, which blue badge holders are not permitted to park in. However, the council has apologised to Ms Trivigno and cancelled the fine after Nottinghamshire Live approached them for comment on November 24.
Ms Trivigno said she still feels "very strongly" about the situation. Speaking of her frustration, she added: "It has put me off from going to the centre - I am very paranoid now.
"It is just frustrating that I had to go through this. It has taken going to the papers to cancel it.
"I did challenge it before and they refused to cancel it. It is very difficult for disabled people because there is nowhere to park."
She added: "I parked there because I saw people parking on that space before. Even though it says 'no loading', I am not a commercial vehicle, so I do not understand why I would be fined for it.
"It is ridiculous. I have problems with finding somewhere to park, and I do not have a bus stop on my street, where I live, so driving is the only way."
Ms Trivigno has shared her frustration over what happened, adding: "Finding somewhere to park in general is a nightmare, especially when you have mobility issues. It is really appalling - it is not convenient at all."
A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: “This penalty charge notice was issued because Ms Trivigno had left her car in a space marked ‘no loading’, which blue badge holders are not permitted to park in. However, we accept that the road markings here, which highlight a loading restriction, are not as clear as they should be, so we’ve apologised to her and cancelled the fine.”
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