A disability advocacy group has welcomed an increase in fines for those who park in mobility spaces who don't need them, saying mobility parking abuse is "rife" in New Zealand.
The Government announced changes to parking fines and towing fees today, which include an increase in the penalty for parking in a mobility space without a permit from $150 to $750.
The increases will take effect from October 1 this year.
CCS Disability Action administers the mobility parking scheme and has lobbied for stricter penalties and cohesive enforcement across public and private spaces for several years.
Access and infrastructure national manager BJ Clark said the change would make a difference for the scheme's 170,000 users by making people think twice about whether taking a park they have "no right to use" is worth the risk.
“Mobility parking abuse is rife in New Zealand.
"Research we commissioned showed that nearly one-third of users of mobility parking spaces do not have a permit to do so legally.
"This widespread abuse highlights a severe lack of understanding and respect for the importance of mobility parking."
“We know the positive impact an accessible park can make to people’s everyday lives. It can be the difference between a person being able to go to the supermarket, get to a medical appointment or meet a family member – or missing out completely."
He said the change brought New Zealand more in line with other countries like Australia, where on-the-spot fines were about $500, depending on the state.
“People who use the Mobility Parking scheme deserve to be able to be part of our communities. We would love to see the revenue from mobility parking abuse be diverted into initiatives that improve local accessibility."
SHARE ME