Are there too many disabled parking spaces ? And if so, why ?
Justin Aerial
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I just want to make clear that I am not against reserved parking for disabled drivers, no reasonable person would be, but I am against an apparent excess of disabled spaces, particularly in car parks which are frequently full.
It has always seemed to me that there appear to be too many disabled parking spaces, but I accept the word "appear" is significant here. However, as mentioned on a separate thread, I did once do some research on one particular car park (Ponds Forge Sports Centre - Sheffield) I use frequently and which is often full with cars circulating looking for spaces. Over the course of a few months each time I went, 2 or 3x a week, I counted the number of Blue Badge permit cars in the disabled spaces, it didn`t take long, they`re all in the same area. It averaged just under 3, the most ever was 6. There are 16 (that`s sixteen) disabled spaces in PF car park. These are facts. I have to say was annoyed that the management weren`t bothered and appalled that they tried to insinuate I was anti disabled.
In the case of Ponds Forge the explanation appears to be that Sport England recommend 10% of car park spaces are reserved for disabled drivers. I`d very much like to know what real world research, if any, was done by them to come up with that 10% figure.
I suspect that many other cases of excessive numbers of disabled spaces are caused by inaccurate planning rules. Has anyone else any input on this ?
It has always seemed to me that there appear to be too many disabled parking spaces, but I accept the word "appear" is significant here. However, as mentioned on a separate thread, I did once do some research on one particular car park (Ponds Forge Sports Centre - Sheffield) I use frequently and which is often full with cars circulating looking for spaces. Over the course of a few months each time I went, 2 or 3x a week, I counted the number of Blue Badge permit cars in the disabled spaces, it didn`t take long, they`re all in the same area. It averaged just under 3, the most ever was 6. There are 16 (that`s sixteen) disabled spaces in PF car park. These are facts. I have to say was annoyed that the management weren`t bothered and appalled that they tried to insinuate I was anti disabled.
In the case of Ponds Forge the explanation appears to be that Sport England recommend 10% of car park spaces are reserved for disabled drivers. I`d very much like to know what real world research, if any, was done by them to come up with that 10% figure.
I suspect that many other cases of excessive numbers of disabled spaces are caused by inaccurate planning rules. Has anyone else any input on this ?
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Comments
How very dare they?
I shpuld imagine that the sports centre would know what proportion of their membership is classed as having a disability and have allowed for that in their parking.
I wish there were more parent child bays at my local supermarkets, we often struggle to get one. Although it would help if parents didn't take the piss and use the bays when they have close to teenage kids.
Our local shopping centre has two floors in the car park and has 4 on each level, we rarely get one of those either.
No, they should do away with them, they're just a marketing gimmick - nothing more, nothing less.
I don`t think it`s anything to do with that, and if it was then the Ponds Forge management don`t know what the hell they`re doing, certainly if my research is anything to go by . It`s about planning guidelines. Interestingly the Sport England figure planning guideline of 10% disabled parking differs markedly form the Sheffield City Council figure. This is from memory, but the council figure is something like 2% plus 2 spaces, which gave a figure of 6 for the PF car park. Going by my research that would be spot on. This then raises even more questions about where Sport England`s 10% figure comes from.
There are twice as many mother and baby spaces in our Sansburys as there are disabled spaces, I dont mind them being there, but they do not need to be right by the door, they could be further away to allow for more blue badge spaces.
Err, no they`re not. I admit that before having kids I thought that. Have you tried getting a child out of his/her car seat in the limited amount of room offered by the standard car park spaces ? Sometimes it`s impossible, at other times you just risk a back injury.....
As regards where the parent/child spaces are, that`s slightly less important, but I`m sure we`d all rather not have kids crossing roads if we can avoid it, wouldn`t we ?
That said, this is a bit off topic really.
I find them very useful. To get a baby out of a car seat requires you to open the door pretty much fully, which is often impossible in a conventional sized bay. Why do you think they're just a gimmick?
In the town centre, disabled bays near the shops are usually fully occupied.
While disabled bays in sensible locations are clearly needed, applying quotas to unsuitable car parks is inefficient.
I daresay they do employ a spot of statistics before marking the bays out. In places were there are a lot of older people, you find more disabled bays. In places full of young families the emphasis is on parent and child. One case where market forces work quite well.
Because there is no legal requirement to have them. If you want more room then park somewhere (no doubt further from the shop door) where there are spare bay(s) you can utilise.
Should supermarkets, etc. do away with all their 'gimmicks' or just the ones that you don't see the need for?
The only way to do that would be to make all car park spaces disabled only just incase a 1000 disabled drivers fancy to all visit the same place at the same time?
No.
I guess that settles that...
I know there's no legal requirement, but they are very useful, hardly just a gimmick. I have no desire to be close to the shop door, just to be able to get a baby and pushchair in/out of the car safely. I could park further away in a normal bay, but how do I know someone won't park next to me, making it unsafe to get my baby back in the car?
I don't really care, just pointing out that's what they are and that they're not a god given or legislative right.
Or just use a bit of common sense.
Who said they were?
Most people appreciate having something that makes life a bit easier, be it P&C spaces, express checkouts, click and collect and so on.
The statement said there always should be one more space available always. Without knowing the maximum number of people who are disabled who will turn up at the same time you could never work that out other than to say that making them all disabled is the only way to achieve the stated end.
If, once in a blue moon, they have an event on where more disabled spaces are needed there is nothing to stop them form temporarily reinstating the spaces as reserved for disabled users. Ponds Forge have even less excuse for not doing this as their car park has a concrete pillar next to every space, perfect for affixing a "Temporary Disabled Parking Space" notice on !
Go at 8pm at night and they are all empty.
My daughter doesn't work and this may be more of a norm for a lot of the disabled spaces - it may be that what you think are an excess of spaces are actually full up.
Incidentally, I used to take her to a sports centre and there were only 3 spaces for disabled - never ever were we able to get into one of these spaces - always totally full. In the end we had to give up going which is a shame as she needs exercise such as swimming.
I need a really big space as she has a large electric wheelchair which has to be hoisted out of the back of the car and then drive to the side door where she needs the door opened fully and the wheelchair facing the passenger seat so she can transfer.
I don't expect lots and lots of spaces but my attitude is that they make life a lot easier and not one of us would wish to swap with the disabled person so lets try and make those little things a bit easier.