Arabnews24.ca:Wednesday 2 August 2023 05:52 AM: A Welsh language campaigner is set to appear in court after refusing to pay an English-only parking fine.
Toni Schiavone is due to appear before a court in Aberystwyth on Friday morning.
The car park in Llangrannog, Ceredigion, is managed by parking company One Parking Solution.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith (the Welsh Language Society) says the company continues to refuse to enter into correspondence in Welsh.
Mr Schiavone had previously appeared in court in May and he insisted the case be heard in Welsh.
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As a result, One Parking Solution had to translate all papers, including the fine itself but the company did not appear at court and the case was thrown out.
According to the society, the company is still pursuing the payment but is refusing to provide Mr Schiavone with the fine in Welsh.
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Mr Schiavone said he was "very sad" that the service was not being provided in Welsh.
"The cost of a court case is a hundred times higher than the cost of providing a fine letter in Welsh," he said.
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"According to the company, because I can speak English they don't need to provide a service in Welsh.
"This attitude is completely unacceptable and goes totally against the rights of Welsh speakers."
Mr Schiavone adds that he will not pay the fine unless he receives correspondence through the medium of Welsh.
Sian Howys, chair of the rights group at Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said Welsh is an official language in Wales.
"We call on Jeremy Miles [the education and Welsh language minister] to re-consider his stance on the matter and act to ensure that companies such as One Parking Solution which makes a profit in Wales respects the Welsh language by displaying signs, providing a payment option and every administration in Welsh."
One Parking Solution declined to comment when approached by Sky News.
