Hospital staff, including doctors, nurses and cleaners, to get free parking and public transport

Hospital workers to be thanked for their tireless work tackling the ‘nasty and insidious’ coronavirus. And those without a car will get free public transport.

• One new virus case as vaccine trial revealed
• Are you getting the most from your Advertiser subscription?

Frontline health workers will be given free carparking as a “small thanks” for putting their lives on the line during the coronavirus pandemic.

And hospital workers will also be allowed to travel free on public transport in their commute to work.

Premier Steven Marshall told the Sunday Mail the move was a way of “caring for those who care for us” as dedicated medical staff continue to battle daily with “this nasty, insidious disease”.

“It takes great courage to go to work knowing there is a risk of coming into contact with this dangerous and highly infectious disease,” he said.

“The parking and transport measures are a small thanks from the people of South Australia to all hospital workers for continuing to turn up day in day out when we need you most.”

Health Minister Stephen Wade said the free carparking would be for doctors, nurses, cleaners and receptionists at all of the state’s metropolitan hospitals.

Staff at Royal Adelaide Hospital workers are able to park their vehicles at no cost in a section of the western Parklands as part of a move to support those working on the COVID-19 front line.

Adelaide City Council voted on Tuesday to allow doctors and nurses to park on the oval opposite the hospital.

It will be used as an overflow carpark and is an initiative worked between South Australian Cricket Association, the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the council.

The opening hours would depend on demand.

MORE NEWS:

Rival clinics unite in call for IVF rethink

Gladys Berejiklian owes Australia an apology

Drive-thru wake to farewell local hero

This Tuesday night, the council will discuss a proposal to grant health-care workers free parking permits in parts of the city and North Adelaide.

Council administration said they have been in “constructive” discussions with the Royal Adelaide, Women’s and Children’s and Memorial Hospitals, about potential parking arrangements. The council also reinstated 60 unrestricted North Adelaide parking spaces following calls from nurses.

In December, the State Government came under fire and was dubbed a “grinch of a government” when new parking fees for Adelaide hospital staff were outlined in a series of letters to staff.

The increase – foreshadowed in the Budget – more than doubled fees for some staff to $49.50 a fortnight from January 1.

Last month State Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas and his Health spokesman Chris Picton called for hospital parking fees to be waived to replicate a similar move in the United Kingdom.

- with Celeste Villani