A MAN has hit out at parking rules in Glasgow after he was slapped with a fine within three minutes of parking.

Stephen Lewis says he feels like he was ‘ambushed’ when he received a penalty on Duke Street on the morning of Thursday, January 26.

Stephen, who lives in Dennistoun, says he parked next to the machine before walking to a bank machine to withdraw cash and then going into a local shop, next to where he had parked, to get change to pay for a parking ticket.

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Glasgow Times:

He says he returned to pay within three minutes of parking and saw attendants issuing a fine.

The 47-year-old said: "I told them ‘I’ve literally just parked here, I’m just getting money to go get change’, and then they went into this pre-rehearsed diatribe saying ‘you’ve got several ways of paying, you can pay by your phone’.

"I don’t want to give a third-party company any of my bank details. 

"I’m not paranoid but I’ve been stung in the past, especially online, so I would prefer to put old-fashioned coins in the machine and pay for it, but they weren’t interested.

"So, I said ‘aren’t you supposed to give me some kind of leeway?', and they said ‘nope, there’s no leeway given anymore’."

Glasgow Times:

Stephen says he has had no issues leaving his car to get change in the past and was previously told by a parking attendant it was "not a problem" to go and get change before paying.

However, a Glasgow City Council spokesperson said there has been no change in policy and parking must be paid for before leaving a vehicle unattended.

Stephen has called the lack of a grace period "absolutely disgusting".

Glasgow Times:

He said: "I find it’s a nonsense, especially the fact now they could actually stand and watch you put money in there and leap and put a ticket on you without any leeway whatsoever, it’s ridiculous.

"It just sounds like it’s a money-grabbing exercise."

While it is possible to pay for parking digitally via Ringo, Stephen says he does not want to pay for parking through a third party.

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Glasgow Times:

He said: "Forcing you to go digital, I don’t agree with that, there should be some kind of leeway to give you time to get the physical change to put in the machine.

"It would be okay if it was a council-run thing, but it’s not, it’s going through a third party and I do not want to give my details over to a third party."

Stephen, who has worked as a long-distance coach driver for 23 years, also believes Glasgow seems to be the most "unreasonable" when it comes to parking rules and the lack of a grace period compared to other cities across the UK.

Glasgow Times:

He said: "In the centre of London, even though there are signs everywhere, they’re spot on with it, they will give you leeway, they will stand and watch your vehicle for five minutes, that’s the time they’re allowed down there.

"Same with Birmingham, Manchester, majority of England, there’s no problem, they’re pretty sensible.

"In Glasgow, they just seem to be on a money grab at the moment."

Stephen has now lodged an appeal against the penalty.  

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: "The member of the public received the correct advice in relation to the use of paid-for parking bays during his recent stop on Duke Street.

"Drivers are expected to pay for their parking without delay after parking their vehicle.

"The Ringo parking payment system is used by local authorities across the UK and is a fully secure system."