Parking illegally in spaces reserved for people with a disability is among the most common parking offences in Maitland.
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Tarro resident Audrey Convery has had a disabled parking permit for the past decade because severe arthritis in her legs makes it difficult for her to walk any distance.
Ms Convery, 77, said she could not drive so her carer often took her to Green Hills to buy groceries.
But she said they often struggled to find a park because people were parked illegally in the reserved spaces.
“People these days just don’t really care,” she said. “You do appreciate having these facilities, especially when you have a problem.”
Roads and Maritime Services issues permits that allow people to use the spaces as part of its Mobility Parking Scheme.
The spaces give people with a medically diagnosed mobility problem easy access to amenities and entry and exit points of buildings.
The permit features the owner’s photo, which must be visible in the vehicle when parked in the designated spaces.
Maitland City Council development and environment manager David Simm said parking fines made up 82 per cent of all financial penalties issued by council so far this financial year, which was on par with previous years.
He said drivers continued to park illegally in spaces marked with the pictogram of a person in a wheelchair, which were reserved for people with Roads and Maritime Services disabled parking permits.
Mr Simm said illegal parking in school zones was another common offence.
“Car parking fines continue to make up the majority of enforceable actions undertaken by council’s regulatory officers,” he said.
“Council has, to date, received 318 separate complaints [so far this financial year] relating to unlawful parking from members of the community.
“Each of these matters has been individually investigated on top of regular daily patrols.”
Cr Arch Humphery said parking needed to be more heavily policed in central Maitland.
He said people who parked in the CBD while they went to work for the day reduced the number of convenient spaces available for customers and clients of nearby businesses.
“I don’t have too much sympathy for people who exceed time limits in central Maitland and get fined,” Cr Humphery said.
“It would be nice if these people could see the damage they were doing to businesses.”