Mr Kuligowski was driving a frail elderly woman to Centrelink last month when he received a parking ticket.
‘I got out of the car to help her to the centre because it was raining and she was frail and I parked in the disabled bay with my sticker on the car dash,’ he said.
The City of Swan has declined to rescind the parking ticket.
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READ NOW‘When I returned to the car a few minutes later, I noticed I had been given a fine for $45.’
Mr Kuligowski said he wrote a letter to the City of Swan stating he was concerned that the ticket, issued on May 5, showed how times have changed.
‘Why is it that in the past we always looked after disadvantaged people?’ he wrote to the city officers.
‘I often wonder why every time you try to do old people a good deed, you get penalised for it,’ he said.
Mr Kuliogowski said he did not understand what was happening to Australia.
‘Now raising revenue is more important than helping people.’
The parking area attached to the Centrelink in Midland has a 30 minutes for free parking area for patrons but you must display a ticket on the dashboard of the car.
Mr Kuliogowski said: ‘Now that I know there is a parking fee, I will let them out on the street.’
In a letter to Mr Kuliogowski the council representative said on May 26: ‘Your request for withdrawal of this infringement has been assessed in line with the City’s Infringement Withdrawal Guidelines. I regret to advise that in your case there are no grounds for withdrawal, therefore the infringement notice will stand.’
In the letter, the City of Swan representative states that if he wishes to dispute the infringement further, ‘Please advise the City in writing that you wish to have this matter heard by a court.’
City of Swan chief executive Mr Mike Foley said that Mr Kuligowski had written to the City asking for the infringement to be reversed and the request was considered.
He said the vehicle was parked in a standard, ticketed bay with no ticket displayed.
‘There are signs clearly stating that it is a paid carpark and Mr Kuligowski, by his own admission, had not purchased a ticket.
‘Mr Kuligowski’s letter states that he did not realise it was a paid parking site and that he was only there for a short time. However, neither of these are valid grounds for a withdrawal,’ Mr Foley said.
The City of Swan said there were photographs taken by the officer who issued the ticket which showed that Mr Kuligowski had not displayed his ACROD permit and did not park in an ACROD bay.
‘Free parking is provided in this carpark for vehicles parked in an ACROD bay with a valid permit on display,’ Mr Foley said.
Mr Kuligowski said he will take the matter to court on principle.
‘I can’t believe a judge won’t rule on what’s morally and ethically correct,’ he said.