Disabled man's anger over scooter ban (From Free Press Series)

Disabled man's anger over scooter ban

A DISABLED Abergavenny man is angry that he was fined after riding his invalid scooter after drinking, when a local woman had her charge withdrawn.

The Crown Prosecution Service withdrew a charge of driving with excess alcohol against Mrs Pamela Thomas of Old Hereford Road, Abergavenny a few weeks ago. Prosecutor Tony Dicken said invalid scooters were exempt under the Road Traffic Act.

But Tom Williams, 59, of Llwynu Close, Abergavenny was not so lucky - he was fined £200 for aggravated driving.

He said: "I was driving my scooter home on New Year's Eve and had to go on the road to get around a car because it was parked on the pavement.

"I was then stopped by a police officer who said I was drunk in charge of my scooter and I was charged. But after several court appearances the charge was changed.

"But the thing that annoyed me most was that the magistrates issued an interim ban at my first court appearance, and that cost me a lot of money in taxi fares for the six weeks I was not allowed to drive my scooter.

"Why was Mrs Thomas' case any different from mine?"

No-one from the Crown Prosecution Service had returned our calls by the time of going to press.