Transfusion van ticket is cancelled after appeal

Transfusion van ticket is cancelled after appeal

28 November 2012

A PARKING ticket slapped on a Blood Transfusion Service lorry outside a donation centre in Downpatrick has been cancelled.

Last month’s decision to ticket the vehicle parked at Church Avenue in the town caused controversy and resulted in traffic wardens being branded over zealous.

The ticket was issued to the vehicle which has parked in the same spot every four months for the past 15 years without incident while Blood Transfusion staff use the nearby Parochial Hall.

The NSL parking enforcement unit defended the issuing of the parking ticket, arguing the Blood Transfusion Service had breached the one-hour parking restriction in force at what is effectively a cul-de-sac at this part of Downpatrick.

But the ticket has now been cancelled.

News of the NSL decision has been confirmed by South Down Assemblyman John McCallister, one of a number of local politicians who criticised the decision to ticket the Blood Transfusion Service vehicle in the first place.

He described the decision as a “particularly harsh move,” given the fact that the mobile unit had parked at the same location in Church Avenue for many years without incident.

The MLA said he received a letter on Friday of last week, confirming the parking ticket was cancelled and that retrospective permission to park at this location has been granted.

“I am glad to see common sense prevail,” said Mr. McCallister. “We cannot underestimate the vital importance of this service which relies on the goodwill of the general public to help our most vulnerable citizens in Northern Ireland.

“I was disgusted that a parking ticket was issued in these circumstances, especially given the current crisis facing our health service and the fact we struggled with a huge blood shortage in the Province earlier this year.”

The South Down MLA said he feels everything possible should be done to encourage both the public to donate and indeed support the work of the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service.