Number of drivers eligible for disabled parking in South Australia soars by 15,000 in three years, putting pressure on limited spaces
DRIVERS rorting the disabled parking system are soaring as thousands more people become eligible to park in the reserved spaces, prompting calls for a crackdown.
THE number of drivers eligible for a disabled parking permit has soared by 15,000 in just three years, prompting complaints that genuinely disabled motorists are missing out because of rising abuse of a new system.
Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent said she received daily complaints from disabled motorists who could not access parking spaces. She wants people rorting the system to incur demerit points.
She said the offenders were able-bodied people parking without permits, or relatives and friends misusing the new permit system, which is intended to be used only when disabled people were being transported.
The rules changed in 2012, to allow people transporting permit holders to also use it.
But in some cases, people associated with the driver are “borrowing’’ the permit and using them to secure free, convenient parking.
Relatives and friends of the disabled can legitimately use the permits to transport them, but many are travelling on their own business and escape penalty because they have to be caught leaving or entering the car.
The number of eligible “disabled” drivers in South Australia has ballooned from 60,078 to 75,549 in only three years.
Ms Vincent said the problem could be solved by a photograph identification to go with the permit, but this would create cost and privacy issues for legitimate users.
She said the 25 per cent increase in permit holders could not only be explained alone by
Genuine increases caused by the ageing population and a broader definition of disability could not adequately explain the 25 per cent rise, she said.
“Some of the increase is because of the increasing incidence of physical disability with age and the ageing population,’’ she said.
“But all systems are open to rorting in some way and we do get complaints (about permit misuse).
“We hear complaints that maybe a family members has passed away and the permit is still being used by relatives, for example.
“Having a photograph of the disabled person on the permit is one idea, but then the helper could be on the way to pick them up, so they legitimately may not be in the car.
“This is a big problem because already there are not enough access parks for the people who need them. There is no way the number of parks can ‘keep up with inflation’ so to speak.’’
The Advertiser asked the Transport Department for the number of disability parking permits issued to motorists over the past ten years.
The department has lost records prior to 2012, but provided figures since the relaxed rules were introduced.
Ms Vincent said she had lobbied the State Government to increase the fine for parking without a permit, as well as misuse of the system by able-bodied permit holders, from $350 to the same amount plus the loss of a demerit point.
“The State Government has showed some interest and I understand they are looking for a willing council to trial the idea,’’ she said. “I would like to see that rolled out statewide and changed in the regulations.
A Transport Department spokeswoman said it would need 24 hours to respond to Ms Vincent’s comments.
