Council contractors painted double yellow lines underneath PARKED cars – which were then fined £70
Council contractors painted double yellow lines under PARKED cars – which were then slapped with £70 tickets
Contractor said to have used cranes to pick up cars in Wokingham, in BerkshireVehicles on Blackthorn Close were almost immediately hit with parking fines Councillor Shirley Boyt said residents were given no prior warning of new lines
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Motorists are fuming after local council contractors picked up their parked cars with a crane and painted double yellow lines underneath them – causing them to be slapped with £70 parking fines.
The contractor allegedly painted the lines in a quiet residential street in Wokingham, Berkshire this week, without any prior warning.
A Wokingham Council spokesperson told Mail Online that it was an ‘unfortunate coincidence’ that ticket inspectors happened to be in the area at the time the new lines were painted on.
They added that the council cannot cancel the fines, ‘as much as we would want to in a situation like this’, advising those affected to appeal the tickets.
One of the affected drivers, 19-year-old student Moeen Ulhaq, said: ‘I parked there last night and there were no signs warning they would be painting lines.
‘I woke up about 10.30am and my mum told me they were moving the cars and painting lines. They didn’t make much noise, I couldn’t hear them doing it.’
He added: ‘One by one, they were lifting each car and putting them back down.
The contractor allegedly painted the lines in a quiet residential street in Wokingham, Berkshire this week, without any prior warning ( Pictured: Councillor Shirley Boyt with the fined cars following the painting of the yellow lines)
Cars were left with parking fines (pictured) after the lines were painted underneath them
‘I got there and my ticket had been issued at 11.20am.’
Shirley Boyt, local Labour councillor for Bulmershe and Whitegates, said the contractor had painted the lines at Blackthorn Close, off Culver Lane.
They allegedly lifted cars parked along the close with a crane on a truck, and while suspended, painted the yellow lines underneath.
The vehicles were then placed back down before being slapped with a parking fine.
Cllr Boyt claimed residents were given no notice of the works.
However, in an email from the borough council’s highways team, she was told that parking restriction cones would be placed on the road yesterday.
This, she said, did not happen.
Cllr Boyt said she had reached out to the borough council last week, concerned that residents would not know the line painting was happening.
‘I offered to place letters on each car parked there,’ she explained.
The painting of the yellow lines occurred on Blackthorn Close in Wokingham (pictured)
‘But the council said that would not be necessary as there would be cones.’
Cllr Boyt said she believes Wokingham Borough Council ‘does not know what’s going on’ in regards to its contractor.
In mid-October the road opposite had yellow lines painted on it, one week before it was resurfaced and then re-painted.
When Cllr Boyt queried this, she said the borough council told her they were unaware lines had been painted on Anderson Avenue.
Councillor Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways, told Mail Online: ‘This incident was caused by an unfortunate coincidence that our parking enforcement contractors happened to be in the area shortly after the double yellow lines had been painted.
‘We have different contractors for painting the lines and for parking enforcement.
‘We are sorry this happened and would encourage anybody who received a parking ticket in this way to appeal to have the fine cancelled.
‘It is illegal for us to cancel any fines issued without an appeal being made – much as we would want to in a situation like this.
‘Residents in Blackthorn Close had requested the double yellow lines and our contractors have been out previously to paint them but had been unable because of parked cars.
‘On this occasion, they put out cones in advance to prevent this, but some cars had parked there anyway and so had to be safely moved away while the lines were painted.
‘To avoid similar mix-ups in future we will ensure these two contractors communicate.’
But Cllr Boyt said even if cones were placed out the day before the work, that is not ‘adequate’ warning.
‘They should have had signs mounted on lampposts for two to three days,’ she said.
‘Some people might only move their car at the weekends.’
She said that in previous years, signs warning about upcoming works such as line painting have been placed in the area prior.
Mail Online has contacted the contractor for comment.
