A FUMING man fought his ‘immoral council’ five times after being fined £145 for parking in his own drive.
Aftab Mahboob, 45, was slapped with the hefty penalty last summer after driving in a bus lane in Romford — a lane he says he had to use to park on his own property.
The furious furniture maker appealed the shocking Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) not once, not twice, but five times, until the fine escalated to £145.
But after an agonising year-long battle with the ‘immoral’ council, a parking adjudicator finally stepped in and scrapped the fine, ruling in Aftab’s favour.
Now, Aftab is seething, saying his council’s behaviour is nothing short of disgraceful, leaving him and his neighbours fearing for their sanity and their wallets.
He said: “It’s cost me a year of my life fighting this ridiculous fine! I was just parking on my own drive.
“How can they be so heartless? It’s a big deal because there are more of us getting hit with these fines. It’s like they’re targeting us just to make a quick buck.”
And Aftab isn’t the only victim. He claims other neighbours are being unfairly targeted too, with some fines leaving lasting scars on their lives.
One terminally ill woman, who has sadly passed away, was too scared to get another ticket and ended up having to walk down the road for pick-ups, instead of being collected from her doorstep, he revealed.
Aftab slams the council’s behaviour as “immoral” and demands an apology for their “heartless” actions.
He said: “They kept sending me patronising letters asking if I knew about the Highway Code. It felt like they were mocking me.”
After being slapped with the fine by Havering Council in June last year, Aftab argued that driving through the bus lane was essential to access his driveway.
Thankfully, the parking adjudicator, John Lane, agreed with him.
John Lane said: “The local authority’s Traffic Management Order creates an exemption to do so.”
But Havering Council are standing by their actions, claiming it was a “difference of opinion” between their officer and the adjudicator.
A council spokesperson said: “Our officer had to make a judgement as to what was a reasonable length of bus lane to use. The adjudicator has ruled in favour of the resident and the council respects this outcome.”
But Aftab isn’t buying it. He says the council’s explanation just isn’t good enough and believes he deserves an apology for all the time and stress they’ve caused him.
He said: “I’ve lived here 16 years, but they’ve only just put that camera up.
“This is just a money-making scheme. We’re law-abiding citizens and they’re preying on people who don’t have the time or energy to fight back. It’s disgusting.”
Mr. Mahboob said his 84-year-old neighbour was too scared to park near her own home after being fined and was forced to walk to a car park for her sister’s cancer treatments.
He added: “People are terrified to even park on their own street now. It’s cruel. This is not what living in a community should be like.”
Havering Council, however, insists that their enforcement actions are “fair and balanced,” saying they’re just trying to keep the roads safe.
But for Aftab, and his neighbours who’ve been hit by similar fines, the fight isn’t over.
It comes as the top-10 most expensive councils have been revealed in a map.
Drivers could be set back by up to £7 an hour as prices have skyrocketed in recent years.
On the bright side, motorists could be offered free parking today only as millions are set to drive to the polls.
Drivers will be able to decide the nation’s future without fear of a ticket – but you have to act now to access the discount.
HERE's the new regulations introduced by the BPA and IPC
