A coach driver who had just dropped off 50 children on a school trip was slapped with a £50 parking fine for stopping just six inches over a white line.
Christopher Wells, 57, from Grimsby, had taken the group of schoolchildren from Broughton Primary to a local fishing centre in Lincolnshire leaving the coach in the deserted car park.
When he returned to the coach only bay he discovered the parking ticket attached to his windscreen wiper.
Coach driver Christopher Wells, 57, from Grimsby, was slapped with a £50 parking fine for stopping just six inches over a white line in a deserted car park after dropping off school children on a trip
A frustrated Mr Wells hit out at the fine explaining he was in a coach only bay in an otherwise empty car park.
He said: ‘It is very annoying to get a ticket because it’s going to have to be paid, and it’s going to take half the money from what the bosses made from the contract itself, so the company lose out.
‘I think the council is just clutching at straws trying to get every driver they can now. I know some people do park really badly and they have their job to do, but for such a trivial thing like this when it tells you it’s a coach parking bay, I don’t really see where else you could park.’
A frustrated Mr Wells hit out at the fine explaining he was in a coach only bay in an otherwise empty car park
Staff from the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre confirmed the space is free to park in for coaches, and that a fine should only be issued if the vehicle isn’t parked correctly in the space.
Mr Wells, who has worked for TJ’s Coaches for a year-and-a half, was parked with his front registration plate hanging around six inches over the white line.
He insisted he was not blocking anybody as the two spaces in front of the bay were empty-there were a total of 26 empty spaces in the pay and display car park at the time the fine was issued.
Christopher said: ‘I’ve parked here two or three times before and I’ve never received a ticket.
‘You shouldn’t have to pay to park when you’re bringing a group of children to be educated in a place like this, you’re only doing your job – it seems a bit unfair.’
Nick Janney, the owner of TJ’s Coaches, said this £50 fine is the first the company has ever received whilst parked in a coach parking bay.
The company already offers reduced rates for schools and it will lose out heavily on this job if they have to pay the fine.
Mr Wells, who has worked for TJ’s Coaches for a year-and-a half, was parked with his front registration plate hanging around six inches over the white line
Nick, 57, said: ‘We’ve received tickets before when parked on zig-zag lines to let young children get back to school safely – sometimes the coach parking bay is quite far down the road-but never anything like this.
‘It is a bit out of order. After we’ve paid the fine and the driver we’ll make about £10 from this job.
‘It’s just a bit over the top to fine a coach for something like this.’
North East Lincolnshire Council has been contacted for comment.