Disabled mum not permitted to park

BEN CAMPBELL/North Shore Times

CLAMPED DOWN: Albany mum Sharon Shaw was fined $150 for illegally using a mobility carpark at Westfield Albany.

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A mum learnt the hard way that being on crutches doesn’t necessarily mean you can use disabled carparks.

Sharon Shaw’s car was clamped and she had to pay a $150 fine for parking in a disabled park without a disability permit.

Ms Shaw of Albany has been on crutches since she injured her calf muscle last month.

She went to the Westfield Albany Mall with a friend after Anzac weekend and decided to use a mobility carpark because of her temporary disability.

"An hour later when we had finished lunch, we went to the car to see it had been clamped and a yellow ticket on the window," she says.

It turned out she had no permit to use a mobility carpark and was told by the clamp company NZ Wheel Company she needed to pay a $150 fine.

"I am on ACC and self-employed and still have not been compensated, so finding $150 was hard work and stressing," she says.

Westfield shopping centre general manager Linda Trainer says the mall has been working with CCS Disability Action, a non-profit group promoting the rights of people with a disability.

"There is clear signage indicating that the carparks are for disabled persons and a permit is necessary," Ms Trainer says.

"We support the monitoring of the disabled carparks and will continue to work with CCS to ensure they are being used by legitimate permit holders."

North Shore City Council traffic enforcement manager Andre Dannhauser says people with mobility issues, whether temporary or permanent, need to apply for a permit that will allow them to use a mobility parking legally.

He says the Land Transport Rule 2004 clearly stipulates that no vehicle can use a disability carpark unless the driver or any passenger is disabled and an approved disabled person’s parking permit is prominently displayed in the vehicle.

To find out more about CCS Disability Action, go to 6-8 Omega St, Albany, North Shore, PO Box 6450, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141, phone 414-9780 or 0800-227-2255 or email auckland@ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News