The author of a petition to stop the misuse of mobility parks said nothing will change unless there is enforcement in public and private spaces.
Tauranga woman Claire Dale has spent the past two years campaigning to clamp down on offending drivers, delivering a 2700-strong petition to parliament in February 2022.
“It felt huge at the time,” Dale told Fair Go.
“I called all the major parties who sent people high up in their organisation to attend the presentation. And I thought, 'yes', we're making headway.”
But she was deflated after reading the final report that came out of the select committee process in August this year.
"Words in the wind. Nothing at all. There's a whole bunch of words that make no impressionable difference in the lives of anybody who's mobility impaired."
The committee made suggestions, including looking at the number of mobility parks available, technology solutions, working with the private sector and running a public awareness campaign.
'Nothing's going to change without enforcement'
But Dale believed without enforcement, there would be no change.
“Public education campaigns have come and gone. CCS Disability action has spent millions on campaigns. TV has run campaigns and public education. Nothing's going to change without enforcement”.
Fair Go has covered the issue as part of its Limitless campaign, capturing the repeated misuse of mobility parking. When it looked back through TVNZ’s archive, it found records of the same behaviour dating back to 1998.
Juliana says from finding suitable accommodation to being able to enjoy the beach, life can prove challenging for those living with a disability. (Source: Fair Go)
Meanwhile, supermarkets and retailers told the select committee they weren't aware mobility parking misuse was a major problem because they say they don't receive many complaints. They supported an education-first approach.
Businesses also shared concerns about how enforcement would affect the “customer experience”, and they didn't want to be seen as the only venue taking a stricter approach in case it put people off from shopping with them.
The committee recommended increasing the fine for illegally parking in a mobility space without a permit to be more in line with other countries.
Drivers are fined around $500 in some Australian states, and New South Wales has a similar fine plus a demerit point censure.
However, work to review the penalty for illegal parking in disabled parks was paused by the Labour government in favour of work to support other priorities.
A spokesperson for Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport said progress on the review will depend on the priorities of the new government.
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