The security company that parked its van over disabled bays at Perth Royal Infirmary (PRI) while transporting a prisoner for treatment has been slammed.
The Courier can reveal that the G4S vehicle was seen “abandoned”, forcing a patient to travel a “considerable distance” to find an appropriate place to park.
Local councillor Alexander Stewart has taken up the issue with hospital bosses.
He said: “This matter has been brought to my attention on a number of occasions by my own constituents, but also visitors and patients across Perth and Kinross who attend the hospital on a regular basis.
“PRI has a good number of designated disabled bays, mainly at the front door and at the Taymount Terrace entrance, with others sprinkled across the site. However, from time to time these bays are abused by non-badge holders and trade vehicles.”
He continued: “Many people have complained that, on occasions, two or three bays may be out of action due to this practice. One constituent recently advised me that, whilst attempting to find a space at the front door, there was a G4S van abandoned across a number of spaces and, on the other side, there was a delivery vehicle.
“He and his passenger then had to go a considerable distance to find a parking space, causing distress and anxiety.
“I believe this practice needs to be stamped out by the hospital management.
“I will be writing to the management at PRI, seeking assurances that they will do all within their power to ensure that they monitor this situation and deal with the culprits to ensure that this does not keep happening.”
A spokesperson for G4S said: “When we receive reports of our crews using the road inconsiderately, with the date and time of an incident, we will always look into what happened.
“We are grateful to Councillor Stewart for bringing this to our attention and we have advised our colleagues who deliver at Perth Royal Infirmary to take particular care to avoid causing inconvenience to other members of the public.”
Mark Scholes, head of site/support services for NHS Tayside, said no complaints had been received.
He added: “We are happy to do everything in our power to ensure that disabled bays are used appropriately and will be engaging with Smart Parking (which polices parking at PRI) to ensure that the car park regulations are adhered to.”