DfI launch review of Omagh hearse parking ticket

THE Department for Infrastructure has said it will review the circumstances of a parking fine, after a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) was issued to a hearse containing an empty coffin in Omagh.

The fine, decried by the owner of the hearse, Brian Donnelly as “incredibly insensitive”, was applied when the vehicle was parked in an hour-zone just yards from the Sacred Heart Church on George’s Street.

Mr Donnelly, an undertaker based in Omagh, further remarked that when he initially appealed the charge, he was informed by DfI that he had no grounds to do so.

The local man said, “I couldn’t believe that someone would put a parking ticket on a hearse with a coffin in it. It was incredibly insensitive.

“It was a few metres from the undertakers at the time. I would ask why a traffic warden just didn’t alert me that it had been over an hour?

“My premises is also very close to the church.”

He added, “I have applied to the council for an exemption to park in the area outside my premises and I already know that none of my neighbours have an issue with me parking outside.

“I also appealed the ticket but was told by the Department for Infrastructure that I had no grounds to appeal.” When contacted by this newspaper, a DfI spokesperson said they will review the guidance that Traffic Attendants (TAs) have in regard to matters of this nature and moreover, that they would review the circumstances of the penalty notice.

They said, “The department has accumulated guidance for TAs to follow in situations or events where it would be inappropriate for them to issue tickets, for example at a funeral or a wedding.

“On this occasion, there was no explicit guidance available for the TA to follow for this unique circumstance. Nonetheless, the TA did seek out the owner of the hearse. But, failing to find the owner, and in the absence of any alternative guidance the TA issued a ticket after 90 minutes had elapsed from first observing the vehicle.”

The spokesperson added, “The department will review the circumstances of this PCN and any lessons learned will be incorporated into revised enforcement guidance for the TAs to follow.”