Smart Parking under fire after Gosport Blue Badger holder fined £20 over 'discriminatory' ticket machine

The company Smart Parking has come under fire from a Gosport Borough councillor for its ‘unfair’ parking policies.

Cllr Alan Durrant said one of his constituents used the Gosport Community Association car park and was fined for ‘getting one digit wrong’ when typing her registration number into the ticket machine.

The resident, who is believed to be an elderly woman, was sent a parking charge notice of £60 for the typo which was reduced to £20 after an appeal.

Cllr Durrant said it was ‘beyond the pale’ for a community centre to not have free blue badge parking.

‘You have a hospital next door that has free parking for blue badge holders but this community centre has none.

‘She paid the full fee for the whole day but because she got one digit wrong on her registration they fined her anyway.

‘I appealed on behalf of this lady to say that this is unfair and discriminatory but they stand by the charge.

‘They reduced it to £20 but for a pensioner who’s disabled, it’s too much to pay to get one digit wrong considering she’s already paid the full fee for the parking.

‘These machines discriminate against older people who may have sight difficulties or memory problems that make simple mistakes occur.

‘At Queen Alexandra Hospital they do the same sort of thing but for disabled people and blue badge holders you don’t have to insert your registration.’

The resident has until July 8 to pay the fine.

Smart Parking were approached for comment.