Ireland

Text alert scheme will tip off wardens to illegal parking

The Disabled Drivers Association (DDAI) is calling on city and county councils nationwide to implement the new scheme to ‘combat the misuse of accessible parking bays’

Disability advocate and motivational speaker Nikki Bradley is supporting the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland’s campaign for city and county councils to introduce a Text Alert Scheme to enable the safe reporting of illegal parking in accessible bays in public places

Fiachra Gallagher
Sat Apr 20 2024 - 08:33

Disability activists have launched a campaign calling for a new text alert scheme that would tip off wardens to illegal parking in accessible parking bays.

The Disabled Drivers Association (DDAI) is calling on city and county councils nationwide to implement the new scheme to “combat the misuse of accessible parking bays”.

A survey, commissioned by the DDAI to coincide with their new campaign, found that 94 per cent of people would welcome such a text scheme.

The same survey found that 42 per cent of people have never confronted someone parked illegally in an accessible bay.

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Asked why they would avoid confronting someone parked illegally in an accessible bay, respondents gave a variety of reasons, including fear of confrontation; fear of being attacked or verbally abused; being too shy; and “not worth the abuse”.

“The type of people who do this are not only entitled and inconsiderate but also rude and sometimes aggressive,” one respondent said.

Over 2,600 people responded to the survey – 68 per cent female, and 32 per cent male.

The DDAI will launch its campaign for a text alert scheme at its AGM in the Connacht Hotel in Galway on Saturday. A text scheme is already in operation in Lucan and Rathfarnham in Dublin, as well as in Gorey in Co Wexford.

It is an offences to park in an accessible parking bay in a public space without a valid permit, and offenders risk receiving a fine.

Illegal parking in accessible bays is still prevalent, despite the deterrent of fines, according to Richard Ryder, marketing manager at DDAI.

“It’s very clear that people want an opportunity to be able to do something about parking bay abuse but in a safe way. It’s why we are calling on city and county councils to begin using a Text Alert Scheme in their areas,” he said in a statement. “It’s safe, it’s easy, and it’s a significant deterrent.”

Fiachra Gallagher

Fiachra Gallagher

Fiachra Gallagher is an Irish Times journalist

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