Mayo-based Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland launches ‘Bay Watch’ campaign

At present, gardaí and traffic wardens do not have the power to issue fines to drivers who illegally park in accessible parking bays in private car parks such as shopping centres, educational institutions, hospitals and other spaces.

To tackle the issue, the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland (DDAI), based in Ballindine, has launched its Bay Watch campaign today with two objectives in mind. The first is calling on the government to change the existing legislation so that gardaí and traffic wardens can now impose fines on those parking illegally in private accessible bays. The second is to highlight the ongoing abuse of disabled parking bays in general and push for greater enforcement of existing regulations.

A nationally representative survey by Coyne Research, carried out in tandem with the DDAI’s own member research, underscored the lack of knowledge about the existing legislation around private car parks not only amongst the public but also amongst disabled drivers themselves.

Richard Ryder, communications and marketing manager for the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland, said: “Our Bay Watch campaign has been launched to tackle the anomaly in the current legislation whereby those parking illegally in accessible bays in private car parks are allowed to get away with it. It should not be left solely to the private car park owners to manage the problem. Our research has shown that such a move has the backing of the public who also support the prosecution of illegal parkers, not just the handing out of fines.

“We are also urging the local authorities to be more proactive in enforcing existing regulations and, crucially, verifying parking permits. Almost 70% of our members said their disabled parking permit had never been inspected by either traffic wardens, the gardaí or private car park operators, and 96% of our members want more action in tackling disabled parking bay abuse.”

The Coyne Research revealed that, contrary to the existing position, 42% of those surveyed believed that a traffic warden or a garda can issue a parking fine to someone parked in a disabled parking bay in a private car park, while 45% said they didn’t know.

Seven in 10 of those surveyed said that those who illegally park in disabled parking bays should face prosecution, not just fines.

A separate survey of 800 DDAI members revealed that one third (33%) were unaware that the gardaí do not have the powers to impose fines on illegal parking in private bays, and 95% of these respondents said that those who illegally parked in accessible bays should face prosecution.

Commenting on the launch of the Bay Watch campaign, disabled driver and disability equality campaigner Sean O’Kelly said: “I am delighted to see such an initiative being brought out. As a wheelchair user and a driver, I often see cars parked in disabled spaces without a parking badge in shopping centre and private car parks. I hope that effective enforcement will be made in the near future.”

DDAI member Aisling Grouden (21) has been driving since she was 21 and has always relied on her car to attend college, for her busy job, for grocery shopping and general independence.

Safe and accessible parking bays are very important to Aisling, who said that she has experience of seeing cars parking in disabled parking bays that shouldn’t be there, not only in some of the larger shopping centre car parks but also outside smaller supermarkets.

Aisling said: “I never knew until now that traffic wardens and gardaí weren’t allowed to issue tickets in places like supermarkets, shopping centres and colleges, and I am certainly not alone in wanting to see the law changed on this. I think it would make a huge difference to people’s willingness to chance parking in accessible parking bays in these places without a permit if they came out and found a €150 fine on their windscreen.”

“I do remember a few situations where if there was someone parked in a bay without a permit, I would go in and report it to the shop. I'd rarely approach another driver on my own for safety reasons. One time I did go up to a woman myself and all she said was that she was still going to park there!” Aisling concluded.

The Disabled Drivers Association (DDAI) is Ireland’s leading charity for disabled drivers and passengers on a national level. It promotes independence and equal opportunity through mobility, education and training. Find out more at www.ddai.ie.