Parking checks for disabled

By Lia Bichel
CASEY councillors have made a move to make parking easier for disabled drivers in the municipality.
At last week’s Casey Council meeting, councillors voted to identify the number of disabled car parks in areas in Casey and investigate options to ensure the parks are policed.
Cr Amanda Stapledon said while there was a requirement for more disabled car parks, the biggest issue for people with disabilities and their carers was having existing car parks policed.
“It is imperative that disabled car parks are available for those with a disability,” she said.
“I observe, all too often cars parked illegally in a disabled car park. This can impact carers and people with a disability by preventing them from accessing shops, businesses and their medical appointments. If only these people knew the impact they caused, they would not do it.”
While infringements can be issued by the council or Victoria Police to drivers inappropriately using disabled parking bays, Cr Stapledon she would like to see the council have a greater influence over provision of and compliance of disabled car parks on private shopping centre property, but said parking bays had to meet signage standards for the council to be able to enforce them.
“To assist councils in enforcing disabled parking offences, supermarkets and shopping centres must ensure that the markings and signage of any disabled parking bays are compliant with the Australian Standard,” she said.
Narre Warren South resident Nicole, who asked for her last name not to be used, said she welcomed the move by the councillors but hoped more could be done to ease frustrations of disabled drivers.
Nicole said she hoped all shopping centres in Casey, in particularly, the new redevelopment at Westfield Shopping Centre, would cater to disabled drivers.
“There really needs to be more car parks, but they should also be placed near the trolley bays,” she said.
“From time to time I have to walk with a stick and some days are worse than others, but there are some people worse off then me. It causes a lot of stress for disabled drivers or elderly people to go to their car and unpack then walk back to the trolley bay and back to their car again.”