Dublin City Council plans to charge disabled for parking

Dublin City Council is proposing to start charging disabled people for parking in an attempt to stop what it says is the "wholesale abuse" of the disabled parking permits system.

The number of family and friends misusing the free parking permits was causing "serious concern" among local authorities, the city's director of traffic, Owen Keegan, said last night.

Evidence had also emerged that permits were being stolen for use by able-bodied drivers and, in the event of a disabled person's death, their next-of-kin often did not surrender the permit but continued to use it on their own vehicles, he said.

Doctors were also implicated by Mr Keegan in the abuse of the system. To qualify for a permit an applicant must have a medical certificate signed by their GP confirming their disability. There was evidence, he said, that GPs were signing forms for people who were not disabled or doctors were being "overly generous" in their assessments of the patient's condition.

The system was impossible to enforce because permits were not restricted to a particular registration number but could be used in any vehicle in which the holder was travelling.

Numerous examples had come to the attention of the council. Clampers had reported commercial vehicles such as builder's and roofer's vans displaying disabled permits, as well as "branded" cars and vans covered in advertising, often left in parking spaces all day.

People who found it difficult to secure parking outside their homes were increasingly contacting the council to inform on neighbours who had permits but were not disabled.

There had also been a very significant increase in the numbers applying for permits with the increase in parking charges in recent years and National Toll Roads had already started charging permit holders to use the East Link Toll bridge, because of the level of abuse, Mr Keegan said.

The current exemption from paying on-street parking charges should be removed, he said, but as a concession once the disabled person has paid the minimum charge (usually equivalent to three hours parking) they can continue to park in the space for the rest of the day. The council is to put its proposals to public consultation in the coming months.