Health and care workers getting the Covid-19 vaccine should be exempt from car park charges, says Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham.
Alex’s call comes after local constituents raised the fact that care workers getting the vaccination were being charged £4 to park at the Parking Eye ran private car park at North Tees Hospital while attending appointment.
Now Alex has written to Parking Eye asking the company to:
- Waive parking charges for health and care workers getting the Covid-19 vaccine on proof of appointment and staff identification;
- Cancel all existing penalty notices for health and care workers on the above criteria.
Alex said:
“Health and care workers – many of whom are on low-paid, hourly contracts – have been at the frontline during this pandemic, looking after vulnerable people and putting themselves in danger to keep us safe.
“It’s right that they are early recipients of the vaccine roll-out but they should not have to pay extortionate rates to park their car to attend an appointment.
“I’m calling on Parking Eye to do the right thing: show their solidarity with those working hard during the pandemic, and waive their parking fees for care workers attending North Tees for a vaccine.”
Following Alex’s intervention, Parking Eye responded with:
Our team have spoken to the Trust and who have confirmed that their staff currently have free parking and this is being reviewed in March.
We don’t set the charges or the rules, the Trust do, but as per recent British Parking Association guidance if a care worker forgets to pay and sends in proof that they were getting a vaccine, then until further notice we will cancel the charge.
I urge motorists to follow the rules at any car park and if they don’t want to i.e. pay or park appropriately then they should park elsewhere.
Alex said:
“I’m pleased to see Parking Eye agree that they will cancel all existing penalty notices on proof of vaccine appointment and staff identification. However I’m disappointed they’ve fallen short of waiving fees altogether. I’ll now be making the case to waive fees for care workers with the Trust and the British Parking Association.”
