School Driver Who Waited—a Discharge
Page 44
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ACOACH driver who waited for over 20 minutes in a restricted street to take children home from a school in Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1, pleaded not guilty at Wells Street Court last week to the parking offence.
He told the Bench that if he were found guilty he would appeal because he could only obey the instructions given to him. These instructions were to go to a certain school, find out whether the 'vehicle was wanted, get a card signed by one of the teachers and wait for the children.
"All this takes time," he told the Court. "We are usually allowed 20 minutes to wait. There is an agreement between the police and the traffic wardens which allows us to wait. But there are over 300 coaches visiting schools in London every day and we get no co-operation from the schools. Sometimes the games mistress might be late. We .never know how long we will be waiting there."
The chairman, Mr. A. S. Zealey, told the driver, Mr. A. Fisher: "We must find the case proved, but owing to the mitigating circumstances we will grant you an absolute discharge."