A WELSH language campaigner who refused to pay an English-only parking fine has had his case thrown out of court again.
Toni Schiavone appeared at Aberystwyth justice centre on Friday morning (4 August) after refusing to pay a parking ticket he received in Llangrannog in 2020, as the parking company, One Parking Solutions, didn’t provide details in Welsh.
Mr Schiavone arrived to a crowd of people, as well as members of the campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith.
The case was thrown out after judge Owain Williams at Aberystwyth civil court said the One Parking Solutions had delayed for too long before launching an appeal after the case was thrown out in May this year.
The company was also ordered to pay Mr Schiavone’s travel expenses, which he says he will donate to charity.
Former teacher, Mr Schaivone, said outside court: “It’s a great shame that I have to be here today, because it’s a basic right that I have a service through the medium of Welsh.
“It’s disappointing that they [One Parking Solutions] are willing to spend hundreds if not thousands of pounds on prosecuting me rather than provide a simple form through the medium of Welsh.
“This case goes back to September 2020 and this is the second time the company has appealed it, it must have cost them hundreds of pounds by now. It’s a waste of time for the courts and a waste of time for us.”
“This is an example of the way in which we have to continue to campaign for our own basic rights as Welsh speakers. We shouldn’t have to do this, we should be able to have the service through the medium of Welsh when we require it.”
Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Ceredigion Chairman Jeff Smith said: “It’s important for us to be here today because all Toni is asking for is to be able to live through the medium of Welsh.
“This includes being able to interact with parking services through Welsh. Llangrannog is in Wales.
“It would be so easy for this company to provide the documents bilingually, but they choose not to.”
A member of the crowd supporting Mr Schaivone, Sian Howys, said: “Toni’s had to be in court so many times by now just because the parking company refuse to send letters to him in Welsh, they refuse to use the language at all.
“The case has been going on for over two years now, he’s had two years of worrying about the situation - receiving letters and threats from the company. So here we are today to support him, and to tell the company that they should be communicating in Welsh.”