East London Drivers Confused by 'Misleading' Elizabeth Line Station Parking Sign
Frustrated drivers in East London have taken matters into their own hands by adding an unofficial sticker to a railway station car park sign they claim is dangerously confusing. A miniature label stating 'this side only' has appeared at Gidea Park station in Hornchurch, East London, highlighting a parking setup that has left motorists baffled and facing unexpected charges.
Confusion Over Parking Bays Leads to Penalty Notices
The sticker was attached to a sign indicating Monday to Saturday parking restrictions, but these rules only apply to bays situated on the right-hand side of the sign. Bays on the left are designated exclusively for five-minute drop-offs and collections, a distinction that has not been clearly communicated, leading to widespread confusion among drivers.
Charlotte Fackerell, a resident of Dagenham, recently fell victim to these ambiguous regulations. She received a £55 Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) after parking to the left of the sign on 4 January, believing the area was free on a Sunday as indicated by the sign.
Motorist's Frustration Over Lack of Clarity
Ms Fackerell, who works as an administrator for a financial union, explained her predicament: "Imagine a sign that is in the middle of two parking bays - but it applies only to the bay on the right. My bumper was level with the sign on the left, but the sign only applies to the bays on the right."
She added that on the day in question, the parking machine inside the station was not working, so she and two others checked the external sign from a distance. "We all stood a good six feet away from the sign and said, 'Yeah, the sign says Monday to Saturday', and it was a Sunday," she recalled. Unbeknownst to her, the left-side bays have a strict five-minute limit for drop-offs only.
Ms Fackerell claims she did not notice the unofficial sticker when reading the sign, speculating it was added by another driver who had received a fine. "When the parking sign is in the middle of two bays, you assume it applies to both sides - but it doesn't. Why was it not made clear on the sign? It's wrong. It's not being open, transparent and honest, is it?" she argued, adding that she now feels paranoid and urges authorities to make signage clearer.
Council Response and Inspection Ordered
Despite appealing her £55 penalty, Ms Fackerell decided to pay the fine immediately upon learning the appeals process could take 56 days, fearing it might escalate to £110. "£110 is a lot of money. I couldn't chance having bailiffs at my door. They obviously know people fall for this," she said, noting that while the RingGo app stated parking was free on Sundays, this only applied to the right side of the sign.
Havering Council has confirmed that the 'This side only' sticker was not installed by them and has since ordered an inspection of all parking signage across the area to prevent further confusion.
A Havering Council spokesperson stated: "The PCNs issued at this site in December and January were for vehicles parked in bays designated for drop off and pick up only, and parking in these bays is limited to five minutes. The picture supplied by the driver is for the parking bays further along the road, which would have been free on Sundays as the RingGo app stated."
The spokesperson emphasised: "Directional signs will always be clearly marked, part of the main sign design, and in the same font and colour to avoid confusion. If the driver believes the PCN has been issued in error, they should issue a formal appeal as directed on the back of the PCN document."
