By Debbie Kerr

A DUNDEE PUBLICAN last night defended his tough stance on motorists using his business’ car park rather than spend the parking fee at Ninewells Hospital.

The Bay View Bar in Earn Crescent operates a parking scheme to deter drivers from using the bar’s private car park as an alternative to the fee-paying one at nearby Ninewells, where the main daily charge is £1.60.

A sign in the privately-owned car park states that anyone who is not a customer and is leaving a car outside the pub will be subjected to a £10 fine.

Bay View owner Jim Harvey said he was forced to introduce the parking scheme to stop his pub losing valuable business.

He said, “When I first took over the pub there were at least 40 cars from the hospital just coming in and parking their cars. The trouble was people were seeing how many cars were in the car park, thought the pub was busy and just drove right past, losing us business.”

Ninewells car park, run by private company Vinci Park, has been a source of controversy among visitors and staff thanks to the expensive parking fees and lack of spaces.

Mr Harvey said, “The structure is quite simple—the sign says they are liable to pay £10 if they park there and are not a customer at the pub, it acts as a deterrent.

“I have no problem if they come in to the pub and say (they are parking here) but what I do object to is people taking advantage of it and parking here when they are going to the hospital.”

One woman visiting the pub this week was shocked to discover the £10 fine pasted to her vehicle, despite her husband being a customer at the pub.

Fiona Ainley from Arbroath said she has been left very worried about the fine.

She said, “We went to visit a family member in hospital and were struggling to find a space in the hospital car park.

“We had been out all day at Camperdown Park and my husband had a notion for a pint of lager to cool down so we parked in the private car park of the Bay View pub.

“My husband went into the pub whilst I went visiting family in Ninewells.

“We arrived just after 2pm and were the only car in the car park. We thought it safer than the street. At about 3pm, after two pints, my husband left the pub and walked down to meet me to give me the keys.

“On our return to the car, before 3.30pm, we found a sticker on the car advising us by parking in their in their customer-only car park we had agreed to pay a £10 per hour parking charge, which was enforceable by the court.

“I appreciate we should have followed it up at that point but I had children with me and had no intention of taking them into the pub to sort it out, so we left.”

Mr Harvey said in this case he had checked with people in the pub before issuing the fine.

“The day in question I went into the pub just after 2pm and asked everyone in the pub if they had a car parked outside.

“Nobody answered so I went out to put the sticker on the car as a deterrent.”