Clamping down on disabled parking abusers

Lazy and inconsiderate drivers, beware.

Able-bodied motorists, who abuse parking bays reserved for the disabled and wheelchair users, are just one phone call away from being slapped with a hefty fine.

This is thanks to a hotline, set up by the South African Community Action Network (SA CAN).

Residents who spot any motorists parking where they shouldn’t, can phone 086 167 2226 and have either mall management or the SAPS intervene.

The hotline is national, for use by anyone in South Africa.

Providing a background to SA CAN’s initiative, Communications Manager, Lachlan Nicholson explained his own experiences had inspired CEO, Brian Jones to take action.

“I am a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic, and seeing the problems I face when bays are occupied illegally made it a personal issue for him and the rest of the SA CAN team.”

If centre management does not answer the call, the SAPS will be contacted.

Although Mr Nicholson said centre managers generally took steps to rectify abuse when reported, any complacency or inaction would be referred to the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA).

“We have partnered with QASA on this initiative as they are an extremely important body in the disabled community, and exert a great deal of influence within the national discourse, relating to those who live with physical disabilities.”

Appealing to the public, Mr Nicholson asked parking bays for the disabled not be used unless the motorist was legitimately reliant onwheelchairs.

Wheelchair-friendly parking bays are made wider for this reason.

“Many elderly people are of the opinion their age alone entitles them to park in reserved spaces, but this is not the case.”

A commonly-used rationale mentioned by Mr Nicholson was ‘I’ll only be five minutes’, a statement he described as morally inexcusable and frankly absurd.

“I have encountered of these ‘five-minuters’ and when confronted with their selfishness, the vast majority express profound embarrassment and shame.”

News of the parking abuse hotline was met with positivity by ArcelorMittal’s disability representative, Martin Ashton.

He took personal offence to people parking in disabled bays without a sticker.

“As a person with a disability, I don’t even park there because others are worse off.”

Mr Ashton said many able-bodied drivers were simply too lazy to look for other parking bays, and expressed his support for the hotline.

“Simply put, if you don’t have to live with our disabilities, you have no right to use the facilities intended for us,” Mr Nicholson concluded.