No fine for mayor's limo on yellow line

- 04 March 2010

MOTORISTS are feeling cheated after the mayor's car avoided a penalty charge despite being parked on a yellow line in South Woodford.

Last month the Recorder revealed a CCTV Smart car had been parked illegally while photographing vehicles.

Yet voluntary meals-on-wheels deliverywoman Sue Zealander was hit with a £50 fine when she parked on double yellow lines for a few minutes as she delivered food to needy pensioners.

This week the 48-year-old Redbridge Jewish Care worker was furious that wardens did not target Cllr Thomas Chan's official limousine when it was parked on a single yellow line in George Lane on February 16.

She said: "He definitely should have got a parking ticket.

"I'm not at all impressed and I bet if any other car was parked there, a fine would have been slapped on.

"The council seems to have double standards when it comes to this type of issue."

Chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance Matthew Elliott slammed the council, saying the mayor should be treated like everybody else in the borough.

"It's disappointing that the council's draconian use of parking fines to raise money has ended up with them stinging charities for cash," he said.

"It's unfair that despite local authorities raking in a fortune in fines, taxpayers haven't seen their council tax fall, or local services improve.

"If the mayor's car has been parked in breach of parking regulations, then the mayor should pay a fine just like anybody else - no one is above the law.

"We cannot have a situation of one law for the council, and another law for ordinary taxpayers."

A council spokesman said: "We routinely ticket any vehicle found to be incorrectly parked, which includes council vehicles.

"The mayor's car is not exempt from any parking regulations. However, like all other vehicles, a penalty charge notice can only be issued if the vehicle is observed to be parked in contravention of the regulations.

"All vehicles are also permitted to set down and pick up passengers by stopping briefly in a restricted area.