Action sought on misuse of parent/toddler parking spaces

THE misuse of parent and toddler spaces in car parks needs to be addressed.

Exasperated parents frequently find the slots – which allow ease of access to secure small children into their car seats – occupied by vehicles not transporting children.

One frustrated Mayo mum said she would consider launching a petition to make it a fineable offence to park in a parent space with no children present.

Sophie Flynn contacted The Connaught Telegraph to highlight the lack of respect some car owners have when they park in parent and toddler spaces in public car parks when they do not have children in their vehicle.

She outlined a recent shopping trip to Aldi in Castlebar with her children – eight months old and five years - which turned into a nightmare.

"As usual, there were no parent spaces available, with two of the car owners sitting in their cars (only four in Aldi), so I parked in a normal space. Upon returning to my car after completing my shop I was disgusted, appalled and shocked at how close a car had parked beside me. So the struggle of getting my baby into her car seat began.

"I couldn't open the rear driver's side door to put her in as it wouldn't open a mere foot. So I had to climb through the rear passenger side and squeeze past my five-year-old's car seat, all the while holding my baby. I then had to climb through the passenger side to get into the driving seat.

"I am a petite, 120lb, 32-year-old woman and yet I couldn't get into my driver's side from the outside.

“I left a note on the window of the car in question asking them to take other cars into consideration when parking."

Said Sophie: "The issue of cars being parked in parent and toddler spaces when the car owner clearly has no children with them is an issue that really needs to be addressed.

"I have lost count of how many times I have seen this happen.”

In another incident a man who pulled up in a car had, she said,”no shame in walking away from me when I said to him 'this is a parent and toddler space'.

"Another time a lady asked me to move my buggy away from her car when I was parked in a parent space, and she did not have children with her.

"A lot of the public misuse and abuse parent spaces. They do not realise the struggle we have when we have to squeeze our children in and out of a normal space just because they see it as a free space close to the door.

"Others see it as 'oh well I have children but they are not with me, I'll still park here'.

“Or in other instances, they park in the bigger spaces so car doors don't scratch their cars."

She made the point: "It is not illegal nor can you be fined for parking in parent and toddler spaces if you don't have children.

“However, if one parks in a disabled space and does not display a disability badge they are fined if caught.

"I am a firm believer that this should be the case for parent spaces. An idea I have thought of is that for parents receiving child benefit, a disk could be issued to the parents and this should be displayed in the windscreen.

"I understand a lot of people will argue at what age of child should you still require a parent space. I am aware it is not just parents who have children in cars, it can be grandparents, childminders, etc., but this issue of parent spaces being occupied by cars without children in them is so frustrating for parents struggling like I did."

Update: An online petition has been launched. Click through here https://bit.ly/2P1WwOs