Disabled parking bays only for disabled people.

The disabled community is in an uproar over the Springs public’s lack of consideration for them.

Members of the community, as well as officers from the EMPD, have been parking in parking bays reserved for disabled people.

Only disabled people with stickers on their cars may park in those bays.

“It has been happening for a while and people don’t consider how hard it is for us to move around,” says Ina Groebler.

“I need my walker to get around because I am unbalanced.

“People can’t understand and I didn’t choose to be disabled,” says Groebler.

The situation has become so bad that a local hospital has implemented a new system of locking parking bays for disabled people and the only way one can access them, is to request security officials to open the bay should one need it.

Disturbingly, EMPD officers have also been caught in the act of parking in the ‘disabled only’ parking bays.

Wilfred Kgasago, the spokesperson says, “Officers may not park in disabled parking bays unless there’s an emergency necessitating the use of that parking bay which is specifically reserved for physically disadvantaged motorists.

“Officers found doing that should be reported to the precinct commander’s office.”

The car guards have also been complicit in allowing this trend to continue. “The car guards say they feel sorry for people so they let them park there.

“In some instances, some people even bribe the car guards,” says Fanie Groebler who is wheelchair-bound.

Motorists are warned that if they are found parking in these bays without the appropriate signage, they are liable to receive a fine and in extreme cases, their vehicles can be towed away because they have inconvenienced disabled motorists.”