KAREN Watling lives with disability that renders her less mobile than some. She holds a Mobility Parking Scheme permit (part of the Australian Disability Parking Scheme) allowing her to park legally in designated disability parking spaces.
The Hobartville resident has lived in the Hawkesbury area for 25 years, and has on more than one occasion witnessed vehicles without permits parking in disability parking spaces.
“I want to let people know that this is happening because otherwise, there will be no change,” she said.
Ms Watling was prompted to contact the Gazette after she witnessed a vehicle without a permit park in a disability parking space in Richmond Marketplace.
“I asked the driver if she realised she was parked in a disabled spot and she said, ‘Maybe I should have hemmed you in, instead’. I couldn’t believe it. She was so rude,” she said.
“I just wanted people to be aware that they can’t just park in these spaces because they’re late or busy. It means someone with a disability might have to park somewhere else and walk a long way.”
Richmond Marketplace centre manager, Joe Pinterovic, said Richmond Marketplace is private property and so the centre carpark is patrolled by centre security staff.
“Security police the carpark internally and if there are any cars parked in ‘accessible spaces’ without displaying a sticker, the centre pages the owners of these vehicles to return to their vehicle and move on,” he told the Gazette.
Private car parks such as that of Richmond Marketplace operate under rules determined by the private proprietor, and enforcement of these rules is the responsibility of designated authorised officers.
On-street and council operated car parks, however, are the responsibility of Roads & Maritime Services (RMS).
The RMS website states that parking spaces and signs that show the symbol for people with disabilities are for the use of vehicles displaying valid permits only, and for all other vehicles, the disability symbol has the same effect as a ‘No Stopping’ sign.
In New South Wales, drivers who do not hold a Mobility Parking Scheme permit and stop their vehicle in a public parking area for disabled persons or stand their vehicle in a disabled persons parking space without authority in a public location will incur a $531 and lose one demerit point from their license.
According to the RMS website, there are 2,819 MPS permits currently distributed in the Hawkesbury LGA.
