I know there has been some controversy over parking in the borough recently with Council plans to introduce more and more paid parking for residents and on the sea front, but there is an ongoing issue that has been completely ignored, parking for disabled residents.
In order for a disabled person to have a disabled bay parking bay painted outside their residence they have to prove their disability with a blue badge.
In order to obtain a blue badge, you have to fight with the DWP for 10 points or more on the moving around section of PIP. This in itself is a difficult and emotionally challenging experience.
Once in possession of a blue badge (at a cost of £10), you can then apply for a bay to be painted.
Unfortunately, a painted bay on its own is not enforceable and any person can park in this bay without penalty. In order to be enforceable, there also needs to be a post with a notice next to the bay.
Wirral Council will not install these posts regardless of the effects.
With the increase in the number of cars on the road, and multi-car households there is an enormous pressure on available parking spaces, which leads to greater numbers of people willing to disregard disabled spaces.
What this means is that these bays are often abused by non disabled drivers, causing a huge impact on those who really need these bays.
Both my daughter and I are disabled. We both have blue badges and have a car on the Motability Scheme.
Every time we wish to use these, we have to consider whether we will be able to park when we return.
This fear often leads to us not leaving the house at all.
I know of other disabled people who can't walk any distance and need to use a wheelchair adapted vehicle (WAV) that also suffer from the same issue.
We have repeatedly asked the council to install a post, even offering to pay the costs ourselves, but the council refuse.
It begs the question of what they are intending to use the increased revenue from parking schemes for if they are not willing to address actual problems.
Other local councils will install these posts, often at no charge to the disabled bay user.
It is understandable that Wirral Council are facing financial difficulties, but they are also failing local disabled residents.
Sally Jardine, by email
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