Page 2846 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 16 August 2017
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This morning on ABC radio a listener called to express her frustration at her frequent inability to get a mobility car park near the Canberra Theatre. She has written to the Chief Minister suggesting that after hours the Legislative Assembly car park be set aside for people with a mobility parking permit. We eagerly await the Chief Minister’s response.
Another member of the Canberra disability community provided me feedback:
As a wheelchair user who drives, I experience a lot of frustration over disability parking! This mostly relates (I think) to lack of disability parking spaces, coupled with the sheer number of people who seem to have a permit in Canberra.
The second issue I address is the lack of enforcement of misuse of mobility parking spaces. Canberrans who genuinely require mobility parking spaces are regularly frustrated at those who blatantly or carelessly disregard the law and park in these spaces, simply because it is the closest. There are others who have a mobility permit but use spaces close to medical or other facilities as all-day parking because mobility spaces have no time limits, frustrating those who need to park close for a short period for a specific purpose, like seeing a doctor.
There is also the thoughtlessness of those who may not park in mobility parking spaces but render the spaces unusable by parking in the cross hatch or across cutaways, effectively blocking off wheelchair access between the mobility parking space and the footpath.
As a member of the disability community observed:
I must say though that I have very very rarely seen disability parking spaces monitored or their correct use enforced—I do think that people who are using them illegally would be dissuaded if they received a hefty fine. It’d also be great if there was a way the public could alert parking inspectors to illegally parked vehicles in real time!
At the other end of the spectrum, the defence from those who do park in mobility parking spaces without a permit is that in particularly busy areas they have to park in mobility parking spaces because there simply are not enough regular car spaces.
The budget papers outline that the government will increase the penalty for the misuse of a mobility parking permit. It states:
Incorrect use of these permits is unfair to genuine permit holders, undermines the effective operation of car parks and costs the community revenue. This initiative is a first step in signalling the Government’s intention to tighten compliance by monitoring this concession and reviewing its operation.
I was advised by directorate officials during estimates that Access Canberra parking inspectors will be proactive in patrolling disabled bays and the use of mobility permits and will check all permits to ensure that they meet legislative requirements. This, of
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