Motorists are fuming after local council contractors picked up their parked cars with a crane and painted double yellow lines underneath them – causing them to be slapped with £70 parking fines.
According to reports, the contractor painted the lines on a residential street in Wokingham in Berkshire, this week without prior notice.
Moeen Ulhaq (a 19-year-old student) is one of those affected drivers. He has promised to appeal against the decision.
He said, “I had parked there last evening and there weren’t any signs that they were painting lines.”
“I woke at 10:30 in the morning and my mother told me she was moving the cars and painting lines.
“They did not make much noise. I didn’t hear it.”
He said, “One at a time they lifted each car up and then put them down again.”
Without prior notice, the contractor painted the lines on a residential street in Wokingham in Berkshire. ( Photo: Shirley Boyt and the cars that were fined after painting the yellow lines).
After the lines had been painted beneath them, parking fines were applied to cars.
“I arrived there, and my ticket was issued at 11.20 am.”
Shirley Boyt was a local Labour councillor representing Bulmershe and Whitegates. She said that the contractor had painted the lines at Blackthorn Close (off Culver Lane).
The men lifted vehicles parked at the end of the road with a crane mounted on a truck and then painted yellow lines beneath.
They were placed back on the ground and subsequently slapped a parking ticket.
Cllr Boyt stated that residents weren’t given notice about the work.
In an email, the highways team at the Borough council informed her that yesterday’s parking restriction cones were to be installed on the roadway.
She said that this did not occur.
Cllr Boyt stated that she reached out to the Borough Council last week in concern about residents not knowing the line-painting was taking place.
“I offered to put letters on every car that parked there,” she said.
Blackthorn Close was Wokingham’s location for the painting (pictured).
The council said it would not be needed because there would be cones.
Cllr Boyt stated that she believed Wokingham Borough Council “doesn’t know what’s happening” with regard to its contractor.
The road that runs parallel to Blackthorn Close was painted yellow in mid-October. It had been resurfaced one week prior and then repainted.
Cllr Boyt questioned this statement and she stated that Anderson Avenue lines hadn’t been painted by the Borough Council.
Mail Online has reached out to Wokingham Borough Council, as well the contractor, for comments.