After receiving a parking ticket on Market Square, an Armagh resident has complained about the lack of clarity surrounding parking restrictions on the well-known city centre plaza.
The lady – who is registered as disabled and walks with a mobility aid – was issued the £90 Parking Charge Notice (PCN) on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 23.
She claimed to have circled the town at least once in search of a disabled space on Market Street before resorting to parking on the cobbled square.
Reassured by the presence of a number of other parked vehicles there she said she placed her blue disability badge on the dashboard of the vehicle before leaving “for no more than ten minutes”.
When she returned, she said her vehicle was the only one parked on the square to have received a PCN.
Speaking to Armagh I, she said: “Why was I the only one to get a ticket?
“I thought with the disability card displayed I could park there.
“I know I am able to park on double yellow lines and in loading bays if there is no available disabled space so why not there?”
While, loosely speaking, parking on yellow lines is generally acceptable with a visible blue badge the NI Direct website carries comprehensive guidelines for where parking is acceptable and unacceptable.
The website does state that parking with a blue badge is not acceptable “in pedestrian areas where waiting and loading restrictions may be in place even though there are no yellow lines shown on the road or kerb – details of restrictions will be shown on signs at the entrance to the area” which most likely applies to Market Square.
However, this does not help clarify any ambiguity surrounding the presence of several other un-ticketed cars in the same area.
We contacted Department for Infrastructure for clarification.
A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said: “The Department can confirm there is a double yellow line running the length of the west side of Market Street, Armagh in front of the library, with double transverse marks on the kerb line indicating no loading or unloading at any time.
In addition, there are traffic signs stating, “No loading at any time”.
This restriction is set out in the Blue Badge Parking Rules as a location where a Blue Badge holder cannot park.
“In relation to other parking at the library, there are two disabled parking bays at the entrance, with a further three disabled bays on Market Street, time restricted to a maximum of three hours so as to provide a turnover of parking spaces for those Blue Badge holders wishing to avail of short stay parking.
“Blue Badge holders can also park all day in the one hour limited waiting parking bays in Armagh if a disabled bay is unavailable.”
