Hume council issued 518 fines for people failing to display a disabled parking permit last year, compared to the Macedon Ranges which fined just five drivers.
So far this year, 221 people have been fined for parking illegally in disabled parking bays in Hume, compared to one driver fined in neighbouring Macedon Ranges. The penalty for parking illegally in a disabled parking bay is $144 and is determined by the state government. Macedon Ranges council’s assets and operations director Dale Thornton said it had a “zero tolerance” of people who used disabled parking bays without a valid permit.
“Council does periodic parking patrols which include disabled bays, but we are unable to police these every day.
“We encourage residents to contact us if they come across someone parking illegally.”
In the past year, 27 complaints were made about people parking illegally in Hume, offences were mostly recorded at shopping centres.
In the Macedon Ranges, there are about 2000 active permits; 80 per cent allow people to park in a disabled parking bay and the rest allow drivers extra time in standard parking spaces. There are 104 on and off-road disabled parking bays in the shire.
In Hume, there are 1259 active permits.
Disabled Motorists Australia president Mark Higginbotham said he was not surprised by the high incidence of drivers parking illegally in disabled parking bays.
“It is a major issue which continues to be detrimental to the everyday lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the community,” Mr Higginbotham said.
“This type of behaviour forces people with disabilities to park in inappropriate parking spaces where they are unable to get their wheelchairs in and out of their cars.”
He said in some instances drivers gave up and drove home.
He said that municipalities in Melbourne’s outer and northern suburbs had implemented electronic monitoring systems for parked cars and that a similar method was needed which targeted people without permits parking in disabled parking bays.
Another option, he said, could be a designated disability parking officer who would monitor disabled parking bays.
