The controversial private company that runs parking at Ninewells Hospital has won a major test case over hospital staff who had refused to pay parking charges.
Around 75 members of staff of the University Hospital of Wales have been told they will have to pay potentially thousands of pounds to the private car parking company after the Cardiff Civil Justice centre verdict.
Although the hospital has 6,000 staff there are only 1,800 spaces for employees.
Workers, from cleaners to doctors, said this left them no choice but to withhold payment in protest at the new parking arrangements which came into force last year.
It has been claimed one nurse now owes Indigo £150,000 after the court said £128 must be paid for each ticket plus another £26,000 in court fees.
Campaigner Sue Prior, who co-founded the Taff Ely Parking Action Group, said: “It’s horrendous. Some of them are broken. They’re scared stiff, petrified, they feel sick. This affects everyone from cleaners to doctors.”
A spokesman for Indigo said: “In April last year, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Indigo agreed a new set of measures to improve car parking on the UHW site.
“As a gesture of goodwill towards car park users, parking charge notices issued up to the end of March 2016 were cancelled.
“In addition, the cost of a Parking Charge Notice was reduced to £10, if paid within 14 days. Despite this, a number of people refused to pay for parking at the site. They also ignored the resulting PCNs and declined to use the formal appeals process.
“The court’s ruling has justified our decision to take this action and we hope this sends a clear message to users of the car parks at Cardiff UHW that they follow the terms and conditions for parking.”
Indigo also operates parking at Ninewells Hospital and has repeatedly come in from criticism from staff and visitors alike due to rising charges, unfair penalties and a lack of capacity .
One doctor accused the firm of being “unfair” and “bullying” after he was given a penalty for failing to display his parking permit.
Parking at the hospital wil be discussed when NHS Tayside bosses meet MSPs and MPs on September 29.
