Oil show delegates’ anger as parking row continues
Council pledges to treat appeals against penalties sympathetically
Published:
Visitors to the Offshore Europe oil show were yesterday still being issued with parking tickets – despite the city council leader admitting it had “done nothing” to boost Aberdeen’s reputation.
As the Press and Journal reported yesterday, dozens of motorists who parked on grass verges when the car parks filled up on Wednesday returned to their vehicles to find they had been issued with parking fines.
City councillors branded it “utterly ridiculous” as the event was hosted by the local authority and people from around the world were attending.
The council has now agreed that motorists at the event who think they were unfairly given parking fines can lodge an appeal and they will be “as sympathetic as possible”.
City wardens could be seen patrolling in the streets surrounding Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) yesterday issuing tickets to some of the cars left on grass verges. Hundreds of vehicles with nowhere else to park were again parked on the verges in Claymore Drive.
Aberdeen City Council leader John Stewart told the P&J at the show: “You have to be able to act quickly in terms of reputation management, and what has happened has done nothing to enhance the reputation of the city or the council.”
He said the council would take a “commonsense approach” to every appeal that comes in.
Mr Stewart said: “We have to be flexible – if people are parked sensibly, out of the way of pedestrians and not obstructing traffic flow, then that would be taken into account given the circumstances.”
Motorists who were issued tickets were nevertheless angry.
Andrew Wright, of oil service firm OTEAC, who parked on the verge and received a ticket yesterday, said: “I saw the cars parked here, they didn’t have tickets on them and there weren’t any signs saying I couldn’t park here.
“I have only been parked here for two hours, and to come back and see a ticket is just ridiculous.
“It is a farce that when the car parks fill up, there is no indication of where else you can or cannot park.”
David Dilworth, a project manager with Aker Solutions, also received a ticket for parking on the grass verge.
He said: “If they provided enough parking for the amount of people expected to turn up, then I would have been more than happy to pay for a ticket.
“I think they have just seen an opportunity for extra revenue and taken advantage.
“I came here yesterday, parked on the verge and didn’t get a ticket, but today I have. I am not parked on the pathway, I am not obstructing anyone – I parked in an area I deemed safe.”
Sue Bruce, chief executive of Aberdeen City Council, said parking capacity had been reduced because one of the areas which was due to be a car park had been flooded last week. She said: “The city wardens have done their job properly this week, as they always have done, but we needed to give clearer direction about how to proceed in the immediate vicinity surrounding the centre.
“I would encourage anyone who thinks they have been unfairly treated to lodge an appeal.
“We will be as sympathetic as possible in dealing with any appeals against fixed penalty notices issued at AECC during Offshore Europe.
“Overall, managing the volume of traffic here has gone reasonably well – people have been co-operating in terms of using the park-and-ride and shuttle buses so far.”
The massive turnout for this year’s OE show is expected to be a record-breaker, with the total attendance for the four days possibly exceeding 45,000.
A spokesman for organiser Offshore Europe Partnership said Tuesday’s figure of more than 15,000 visitors was the biggest yet recorded in one day at OE.
By mid-afternoon yesterday, another 14,000-plus people had gone through the doors – giving a three-day tally of around 40,000.
The spokesman said the turnout so far had been impressive.
Readers' Comments
Bad enough we have to subsidize this show with taxpayers money without having them park wherever they want and arrogantly object when given tickets.
Alan Craigie
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Alan , whats the point in the council going on about how important this Offshore Europe conference is when they can't supply sufficient car parking space? We are now beeing advised a car park was flooded last week so was shut off, but it would appear that no alternative parking was set in place. I could see sense in the issuing of tickets if the vehicles were actually parked and causing obstructions but the majority of them were parked up pretty well in an orderly fashion. It would appear thet the people who got tickes would have been happy enought to pay to park.. its purely the lack of thought and abysmal organisation..from the council that runs the OIL CAPITAL of EUROPE, who were so concerned about the impression that visitors would have been left with if the First Bus staff had gone on strike during the conference week, and from what I can see they have left a worst impression to the visitors with out any intervention from a third party, as this has all been self inflicted.
Keith Stirton
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I also forgot to mention that I would make a guess that this is the only show/ exhibition/ conference that will make money for the conference centre, and it is only every 2 years. The organisers go on about record visitors, how many of them are actually generators of increased business , once you weed out the "hangers on" and school kids.
Keith Stirton
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Has anyone ever appealed against a ticket, they have no chance, unless this is a one off
bob seivwright
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from the picture it seems no one is on yellow lines and they are not obstructing the flow of people.The world has gone crazy
bob seivwright
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As for Keith comment i used to be one of these hanger ons, and would never take my car as too much drink and partying had to be done after and during the show, wow those were the days oh to be young again
bob seivwright
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Alan Craigie Subsidising the show with taxpayers money.... What about the generation of money for hotels, local business. Just to build the stands and arena alone. As for Keith's 'hangers on'. Most of these are the hard working people that have made Aberdeen such a great place to live, that keeps this industry afloat. Without the Oil, Aberdeen has nothing!!!!
Richard Hall
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