Pinetown resident recounts disability parking bay drama

DESPITE having a valid disability token displayed on his windshield, an elderly Pinetown resident returned to his vehicle, after shopping at a mall in Hillcrest, to a fine of R1 000 for being ‘parked in a disabled person bay without proper/valid token’.

George Seymour Franklin Vorster, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, and has had two knee replacements and an ankle replacement, said the fine has placed him under an unnecessary amount of stress.

“I was parked in a disability parking bay of a local shopping centre and came back out to see I had been fined. I had my disability card, issued to me by the KwaZulu-Natal Federal Council on Disability. It only expires in 2023. I had to submit a doctor’s certificate when I applied for the card to prove my disability and I had to pay for it,” he said.

Thinking it had been given to him in error, he sought out the local Metro Police officer and confronted them.

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“He was busy writing a fine for someone else when I arrived. He told me the card I had displayed was not recognised and I would need to apply for the correct token at the local Metro station in Gillitts,” said Vorster. “How could I possibly know that the card I had was no longer recognised and that I needed something else?”

Two days later, on Tuesday, June 29, he visited the Metro Police office in Gillitts and was told he needed to complete two yellow forms to contest the fine. When he returned the following day, with the completed forms in hand, he was allegedly told by an officer manning the front desk that the forms were no longer accepted or dealt with by the office and the fine would need to be contested at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.

“I was so confused at this point. It seemed like no one knew what was going on. While at the office I then also applied for the ‘correct’ token to display on my windshield. That was simple and it only took a few minutes to complete and I received it the same day,” he said. “There is no information about this accepted token, that is now needed, readily available. It’s not clear to anyone. Five other people must have also got a shock that day as they were all also given a fine.”

He described the stress the fine has placed on him as unnecessary as he has been forced to fork out extra funds to cover fuel costs as well as a doctor’s visit to apply for the new Disable Parking Token.

Ari Seirlis, the former CEO of the QuadPara Association of South Africa, noted the KwaZulu-Natal Federal Council on Disability was initially viewed by the City as the official desk until such a time as a national parking disc was available and legislated.

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“This is the conundrum. There is no official legislated parking disc available for wheelchair users to subscribe to and so everybody uses whatever they can find to accredit themselves to use a wheelchair parking,” said Seirlis.

“The National Road traffic act states that you can park in a wheelchair parking if you have the accredited disc. Unfortunately there is confusion between all of the metros as to what is the accredited disc. Even the Metro officials themselves are conflicted and ill-informed of which is the official parking disc.”

According to the spokesman for Metro SAPS, Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad, the Durban Metropolitan Police Service regulates the process for disability tokens and, ultimately, enforces it.

“I believe Mr Vorster has now received the correct token, which will be displayed for one year. In recent months, due to Covid-19, we have processed all documents through emails and personally drove and handed the disability tokens to the applicants, rather then placing them through hardships,” he said.

Neither the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities or the KwaZulu-Natal Federal Councill on Disability were available for comment by the time of going to print.

Apply for a token:
All applications for disability tokens should be made through their nearest Metro Police offices.
The following must be provided on application
1. Certified copy of the applicant’s identity card/book
2) Drivers licence of the applicant.
3) Logbook of the vehicle.
This is valid for one (1) year from date of issue.

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