Victory for Reading's disabled drivers as council makes u-turn

Maxwell Kusi Obodum • Published 7 Jul 2011 19:30 10 Comments

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DISABLED drivers have won the right to claim back controversial fines for encroaching in new restricted town centre zones after Reading Borough Council made a dramatic u-turn today.

Council transport boss Pat Baxter told a meeting of its Access Forum that blue badge holders penalised for unwittingly driving through new restricted zones to reach reserved parking areas should be entitled to a one-off refund.

The decision follows a campaign by The Chronicle in support of wheelchair users and pensioners trying to reach disabled bays in Friar Street, St Mary's Butts and West Street, who were running up shock £60 fines for mistakenly driving through bus gates.

Major town centre road changes brought in on April 18 - in anticipation of Reading Station's £850m upgrade - mean St Mary's Butts, West Street and Minster Street are now closed to private motorists between 7-11am and 4-7pm, seven days a week.

Mrs Baxter told the meeting: "We owe you an apology. People have come saying they were used to coming into town that way and we have decided to cancel their tickets. But if those people continue to pick up tickets we won't be able to continue using the discretion."

She stressed the council had consulted the Access Forum at least five times over the changes, but promised new maps which clearly pinpoint disabled parking, and how to reach it, will be distributed soon.

She added: "These were the biggest changes brought into Reading for the past 20 years, we put a lot in the public domain but there's only so much we could do. Schemes evolve and we have to work with other people's concerns and demands. Traffic management is a compromise."

After the meeting Kate Hounslow, from Woodley, who is appealing against two fines for entering a bus gate opposite Reading Minster in St Mary's Butts on June 8 at 6.01pm and June 11 at 4.39pm, said: "I'm delighted and I hope they can clear up the mess they've made in Reading so we can get the access we need."

*Meanwhile Forum chairman Cllr Pete Ruhemann said the council intends to reinstate free bus travel for disabled passengers with a final decision due to be made at Monday's council meeting. The concession was axed in April by the Tory -Lib Dem coalition.

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 07 Jul 11

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saralou
1 post
Jul 8, 00:32
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i have received 2 tickets because i did'nt know about the restrictions in town centre i have wrote off about them just waiting to here

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Huffmum
Unregistered User
Jul 8, 07:11
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Sadly, the council have still not undertaken to guarantee access to shops and facilities for disabled people for the same time that able bodied people can. Discrimination anyone?

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Huffmum
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Jul 8, 08:08
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The council may well have attended the forum but if they did not inform them of specific plans such as where they were putting disabled bays or that they were going to restrict access at certain times then the "consultation" was fundamentally flawed. There is no point in consulting a group if you only give them the bits of information you know they will approve of!

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Wallingford Resident
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Jul 9, 18:10
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Re Mrs Baxter: "...promised new maps which clearly pinpoint disabled parking, and how to reach it, will be distributed soon. "

Er...shouldn't that have been in advance of the changes? How many more fines will be charged until then? How much more frustration and how many more people will be deterred from shopping in Reading. It's a mess.

And it's not just WHERE the disabled bays are, it's:

How to get to them without getting fined!

How many FEWER there are in favour of increased taxi ranks!

Disabled parking and disabled access are a right...they're a necessity.

We live in Wallingford and used to prefer shopping in Reading but I challenge the Council to test their stupid schemes by asking a disabled person who is not familiar with Reading Town Centre (though familiarity probably won't help either) to succeed in parking legally, and without a penalty. I bet it can't be done.

But...if you take a taxi then you can get close to the shops because taxis with wheelchairs are allowed access. Is there some hidden agenda here? Just asking...

Recommend? Yes 12 No 0
SimiB
Unregistered User
Jul 11, 14:04
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I have lived in Reading all my life, and I am a disabled driver. I live about 1.5 miles from the centre, but a journey into town can sometimes result in a journey of 5 or 6 miles whilst I drive around and around the one way system to the various parking bays - not good for the environment, traffic congestion or my stress levels! I have sometimes even given up the idea completely and returned home.

We are now limited to about 6 spaces in total (Forbury) for Blue Badge holders who, like myself, have to use a space with guaranteed unloading space to the rear to be able to unload a powered wheelchair with a hoist or ramp. The signs on my back windscreen asking people to leave me space are ineffectual in parallel parking spaces.

Disabled drivers/passengers who are lucky enough to find a space in a bay are now (1) limited to 4 hours and (2) forced to exit their cars whilst cars and buses fly past - putting themselves at great risk. Please lets not wait for a tragic accident to happen before something is done....

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reading closed
Unregistered User
Jul 12, 08:12
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our town is becoming a place that disabled people are starting to stay away from one they are gone the families will follow and more shops will close i am not a blue badge user

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The Commentator
Unregistered User
Jul 13, 08:40
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Reading Borough Council make it as awkward as possible for any driver to understand what is going on in the town centre. Maybe thats because the council is run by a load of bus drivers!

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******
Jul 14, 17:18
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Punkawalla
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Jul 14, 17:19
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Davros wouldn't have taken this nonsense...

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Angry
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Jul 20, 16:39
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I have received a PCN for a bus lane offence on St Marys Butts on the 3rd of July. The telephone operator informed me that access to the disabled bays is restricted during rush hour periods. This is completely crazy! Exactly when disabled people are likely to travel (just like everybody else) Reading is sending the message that disabled people should stay at home.

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harvey
Unregistered User
Jul 30, 16:16
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i have recievd a pcn for st mary butts i was not aware it seems like many others that if you are disabled you are not allowed in the town at your lesure like any one else this is just not acceptable am i not allowed to meet friends or go shopping in that area when it is conveniant for me just like any able bodied person being disabled dose not mean i do not live a busy life and need access just like every one else at times ican fit in to my busy schedule

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