ENNISKILLEN is renowned for its warm and friendly atmosphere but a new ruling on disabled parking could lead to an ‘embarrassingly unwelcoming image’ of the town.
During a short stop-off in Enniskillen, a disabled badge-holding motorist from Cork received a parking notice and fine, even though they were parked in a suitable spot at the Buttermarket.
A furious Fermanagh resident who saw the parking ticket on the car contacted the Herald to share their annoyance at the way the driver, who had ‘parked in good faith’, had been treated.
“Disgracefully one of those red coats had slapped a ticket on their car. The more I thought about it, the more incensed I became,” fumed the Fermanagh person.
“Is this the embarrassingly unwelcoming image that Enniskillen wants to portray to the world? This really leaves a negative impression with visitors to the county.”
The Police Service of Northern Ireland recently issued a new ruling on the ‘improper use’ of disabled parking in Fermanagh.
“If you are using a disabled badge, whether it be your own or someone else’s, you are only allowed to use this badge if the holder of it is getting into or out of the car where you have parked it,” the police said.
“It counts as improper use if the holder of the badge remains in the car while you run errands. You also are not permitted to use it when the holder is not in the vehicle with you.”
Fermanagh and Omagh District Councillor, Victor Warrington, is a blue badge holder. He said that the abuse of disabled parking spaces in the county ‘bugs’ him.
“I have been very vocal on this. It really annoys me whenever you want a [disabled] space and you can’t get one,” said the Ulster Unionist Party representative.
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