IT is with regret that I find myself writing to the Courier, having to bring to the attention of all its' readership, the issue of parking in "loading bays" in Crediton. Unless motorists are made aware, and continually reminded, I will not be just another victim of the parking ticket fiasco that currently prevails in Crediton. Everyone, and all visitors to the town should be made aware, and warned this is very much on going, with punitive measures being levied, to unsuspecting motorists, in the shopping areas of the High Street. There is a very high probability unless you are vigilant when leaving your car parked, you will fall victim at some point, quite innocently. According to local MP Mel Stride, between April and November last year more than £16,000 worth of fines were issued in these poorly marked loading bays. On every occasion I have gone back into the town, since my own ticketing, (during restricted parking hours) there are always a number of cars parked in these loading bays, some ticketed, some not. If I have seen people parking, I have advised them to move, and to those I have seen exasperated and angry on finding a ticket on their car, I have explained the situation, and suggested they appeal to the council if they feel genuinely aggrieved, plus advised them to look at the "Courier" web pages. I have to admit, that when considering those who are caught, (myself included) it does seem to be predominantly a certain age group, and not the younger motorist! I don't think this is just because they are abiding by the law, and we older folk are more flippant with our parking attitudes, possibly, they are just more conversant with the latest modifications to the signage in the Highway Code, having more recently passed their driving tests? Me for one, simply was unaware a loading bay now could be A) Dual Use, and B) was required to be marked only with a thin dotted line to "avoid confusion as to what the line means". From what I can remember of my driving test some 32 years ago, a loading bay, was for HGV vehicles, to unload their wares. It was for an HGV only, and not a car at any time, even if you were unloading. It had "Loading Bay" written in the area in bold white lettering, and that area was denoted by an equally bold solid white line, forming a clear box to be avoided. If you parked in that, and had a ticket, you were as they say "banged to rights" and most would not have grumbled, and paid up. Now, however, it appears legislation has been passed, probably with good intentions, to help the motorist, park, and be able to utilise all free kerb side space available. But, that legislation is flawed. To simply make loading bays a little wider, than those for cars, and mark them in the same slight dotted lined manner, is clearly not working. If they are "dual use" areas, they require highlighting on the road surface, and not disguising them among public parking spaces. Highlighting these spaces would enable them to be visible, and as a driver you would look for signage to advise you of the restrictions imposed. This reason is the obvious, and exact contrast why, generally, people do not drive in cars with camouflaged paint...so they can be seen by others! ("Simples"!!) During my investigations, I have come across the Road Traffic Signs Directive. This is a document produced through legislation, to advise on all changes to signage for highways. It advises on sizes, placing, lettering, types, numbers etc, and consisting of hundreds of pages. In reality, it should be a document we as motorists are familiar with, since we must know our road signage in order to drive safely, and legally. Yet, nowhere in the Highway Code is there a reference made to this document, nor is there advice that we as drivers should look for literature to enlighten us regarding recent changes made to signage, since we passed our own driving tests. This point enforces my observation, that it appears a more mature driver is being caught, because their highway code knowledge of road signage is based on the date of their test, and is woefully out of date, now. I wish to point out additionally, there is documentation which states that when signage is changed, (or a road layout is changed) there should be "advisory signs" placed, to inform road users of the changes being implemented. These signs consisting of a yellow background, with black lettering, have to be placed locally, for a period of time. I do not believe this was ever done in Crediton, thus you could have issue with the Council on a point of legality, that the loading bays were introduced without the correct measures being utilised? At present, my appeal is in a state of flux, and I have no idea if the council just enforce all these tickets issued, regardless whether it is for a first offence, as in my case? If you are lucky enough to talk with a person in the parking ticket appeals office, they appear disinterested, and unsympathetic to a genuine appeal. It is a vile and unjust state of affairs where the cash strapped state can behave in such a manner. However, it may be because they are so, that they feel they can do so? You would be hard pressed not to feel that in all the cases I am aware of, the council have behaved like a modern Dick Turpin, committing acts of highway robbery, the only difference today, is they threaten with the law, rather than a pistol! Incidentally, robbery is one level more serious than theft, because the offence is committed with threats (in this case the council threaten to send bailiffs if you fail to pay their demands on request) and theft is committed if someone takes something from you with the intention of permanently depriving you of that thing, ie. not giving it back to you, or never intending to give it back to you...makes you think? Name and address supplied • The letter writer has again written to Mr Stride and explained that he has had his appeal rejected by the council. He adds that he hopes the Department for Transport and Devon County Council will quickly re-mark the loading bays to make them clearer for motorists following Mr Stride and a Crediton Town Councillor's discussions to try to resolve the issue, concluding that a suitable colour to mark the loading bays in the town would be pink.