Beware Of Where You Park, Even If You’re Disabled

Monday, 30. August 2010

As local authorities look at ways to raise money, in order to fill the deepening hole in their finances, it’s the motorists who are about to get another kicking. After this coalition government said they wouldn’t use motorists as a cash cow, as had been seen previously, when things have been tight for local authorities. In the Surrey towns of Epsom and Ewell disabled blue badge holders are now being charged for their parking. The borough council pointed out that this was just one of a range of initiatives that will be introduced to meet their budget targets. Helen Dolphin of disabled drivers’ charity Mobilise, said ‘They see us as an easy hit.’ Other parts of the country see other areas of charging aimed at raising money from motorists. In Milton Keynes, Bucks the council is now charging for 5,000 parking spaces that used to be free, raising an extra £2.2 million. In Reading they are giving wardens new powers to issue tickets to drivers parked on pavements and grass verges. Transport Minister, Norman Baker, has said that councils should go easy and not treat parking as a cash cow. Clearly the councils are listening to his every word – and ignoring them totally! Has your council started to introduce new ways of raising money from drivers – let us know? By Graham Hill