Funeral directors fined for loading their coffins

By Local London Reporter
 http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.2075809.0.funeral_directors_fined_for_loading_their_coffins.php

Angered: Darren Turk and Andrew Gillman are being targeted' by traffic wardens Deadlinepix WA15522


A Balham funeral director is receiving dozens of parking fines for the 20-minute stops he makes to load a coffin into his hearse.

Andrew Gillman, whose family business dates back 80 years, said his funeral cars had been ticketed by Transport for London (TfL) for two-and-a-half years.

Despite the tickets being cancelled the fines have angered Mr Gillman who says it is insensitive and irrational.

He said: "I have a lot of bereaved families to deal with, and I have to spend my time and money appealing the tickets.

"I can't park anywhere else because I can't wheel the coffin down the high street.

"It's not very practical and not very dignified.

It's very frustrating - why don't they use some common sense?"

His business, Gillman Funeral Service, is on a red route on Balham High Road.

Mr Gillman is being fined when he parks his limousines and funeral cars outside to load coffins and flowers before a funeral.

He said: "It's pretty disgusting it's been going on for so long.

"I write to them all the time because I'd really like to know why these camera operators haven't been instructed not to ticket my hearses. But they have never replied."

A spokesman for TfL said: "Balham High Road is relatively narrow in relation to the volume of traffic it carries and is heavily used by freight vehicles and buses.

"Any unauthorised parking can quickly cause congestion or danger to other road users.

"Wherever possible we will provide parking and loading spaces on red routes free of charge and there is a parking bay in front of the funeral director's premises that allows parking for up to one hour.

"However we have a responsibility to every road user and cannot provide individuals or businesses with exclusive parking on public roads."

This is not the first time Mr Gillman's hearses have been on the receiving end of penalty charge notices.

In October last year the Wandsworth Borough News revealed how a traffic warden ignored requests not to slap parking tickets on a funeral cortege.

Mr Gillman was forced to take photographic evidence of the traffic warden targeting six of his limousines in Garratt Lane.

The vehicles were parked outside the company's head office and were being loaded with flowers for a funeral.

However Wandsworth Council cancelled the fines afterwards.

That is bad but for me this is better, a police car being ticketted on Barkers Pool.