IT has been claimed that plans by Moray Council to change markings on residential disabled parking spaces outside people's homes are likely to cause problems in the future.
However, a council spokesman maintains that nothing has changed.
Previously, disabled badge holders applying for their own parking space were allocated a reference number which was painted on their allotted space. Moray Council, however, now plans to phase out the codes and leave the spaces unmarked, with disabled markings painted outside the space instead.
"That means that any person with a disabled badge can park in anyone else's space," said Forres community councillor Eleanor Hayward when she raised the issue at the group's recent meeting. "What if someone goes out and comes home to find someone else in their space, and can't get into their house? I can see there being fights about this."
Mrs Hayward, who has been in contact with both her MSP, Richard Lochchead, and Moray Council on the subject, said the new proposals were a bit unfair. She also said it was confusing to change the system, if people were still under the impression that they had their own space.
Moray Council said that there are clear criteria for allocation of disabled parking space, which include the applicant holding a blue badge, but the spokesman added that legally speaking, any disabled badge holder could park in the space.
"All disabled parking facilities in residential areas are provided at the specific request of an individual," he said. "They are only allocated where that individual meets all the essential criteria within the council's policy on provision of disabled parking. The style of markings, which have now been in use for a number of years, differs from the old-style markings, but have the same meaning as far as their use is concerned."
He said that the old markings had a disabled logo and a reference number. The new markings only have the word "disabled" to comply with the Traffic Signs and General Directions 2002 legislation.
"Rather than remove the old markings – a reference number and logo – and replace them with the new 'disabled' markings, which would be a very costly exercise, we are allowing the old markings to eventually disappear through natural wastage," he said. "If a sign needs to be refreshed, it will be with the new markings. If it is no longer required, the markings will be removed."
The council claim that the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which allows traffic to be regulated on a road, only allows space to be reserved for parking on a road in particular circumstances: for example by disabled drivers, HGV vehicles, for loading or taxis.
"Whether it is old or new markings, the legislation does not allow a disabled space to be reserved for the exclusive use of an individually named person," he said. "Any disabled badge holder can make use of these facilities."
After being approached by one local couple who had tried, but failed, to be allocated a disabled parking space, as the car driver was not the registered disabled person, Mrs Hayward e-mailed the Moray Council on their behalf to find out more about the system.
She said that she was astonished by what she found out, which could have serious repercussions for people who would struggle if they had to park any further than the space outside their homes.
She was told that Moray Council operated a strict policy on the allocation of parking facilities for the disabled, which involved an applicant meeting certain criteria before they would be considered, and that any markings were in accordance with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002.
Moray Council said they agreed that it would be unfair if another resident in the area, who failed to meet the criteria, continually utilised the facility requested by an individual who did satisfy all the criteria.
Local disabled campaigner Kenny Shand, who works with the Leonard Cheshire group to make improvements for disabled people and has been instrumental in securing changes around the Forres area, said that the changes to the system were bound to cause problems.
"When I first got my parking bay outside my house, a blue disabled badge was placed on my gate," he said. "This is different to others I had seen on other bays, and there are still two different types out there."
He said that under this proposal, he could go out and then come home to find someone else parked in the allocated spot.
"I cannot get any other parking space near my house," he said, "so I would have to go and look for a space nearby and try to get back to my house. If disabled users could do that, they wouldn't need to ask for an allocated parking spot."
Mr Shand said that if the allocated spots were turned into disabled parking bays for all, it would create a huge problem for all disabled drivers and families who really needed them.
He accused Moray Council of not thinking through the plans properly, or considering the problems that the changes were going to cause. "Who did they talk to about this?" he said. "They need to put themselves in our situation and then think again."
Mr Shand is asking anyone with an allocated parking bay, or who is likely to be affected by the new proposals, to contact him by e-mailing comments@disabilityhelp-scotland.co.uk, or writing to 'The Forres Gazette".Source: Forres Gazette
No comments:
Post a Comment