To be eligible
for a Mobility Parking Scheme (MPS) permit in
NSW, a person must be someone
- Who is unable to walk
due to the permanent or temporary loss of use
or one or both legs or other permanent
medical or physical condition; or
- Whose physical
condition is detrimentally affected as a
result of walking 100 metres; or
- Who require the use of
crutches, a walking frame, calipers, scooter,
wheelchair or other similar mobility aid.
- People who are
permanently blind are also
eligible.
In summary. the
recent changes to the MPS implemented in NSW are
multi-faceted.:
- This new MPS permit
that can't be forged like the old one (which
just needed to be photocopied)
- There is a requirement
for a photograph (which will deter some
'casual' abusers)
- There is now a
requirement for all applicants to have a
medical certificate for their first renewal
(not even that used to ber
necessary)
- The GP unique
identifier number is now a required field in
then RTA data base. This means, if any GP is
issuing an unexpectedly high number of
permits; the RTA can establish this and
doctors will be asked to explain their
authorising 'spike'.
- There is now two new
traffic offences with fines in the region of
$300 each.
The first is for not possessing a MPS
permit when parked in a designated spot.
The second is for using a permit when
the authorized user is not in the
vehicle.
- There is now RTA
guidance available to local councils on
policing these new arrangements, which in
areas of metered parking is part of an
enthusiastically implemented income
generating strategy by councils. Every time
the council's enforcers catch an MPS abuser,
$300 rings up on the council cash
register.
- Every MPS permit will
recalled by the RTA by July 2004. That's a
recall of 260,000 permits. The old style
permit will not be valid for use from
September 2004.
Fact: in
the first two months of the new scheme, MPS
permit applications dropped by 13%.
Currently:
At PDCN we feel that we've done a good piece
of systemic advocacy with regard to the MPS.
Beginning with an approach from one of our
members we've developed a thoughtful
discussion paper, debated the issues,
presented them to government, created a
climate for change, contributed to the
development of that change and remain
involved in monitoring progress.
Future Focus: In
the letter we wrote last year to the
Minister for Roads, to welcome the
changes to the scheme, we expressed our
belief that demographic and social changes
(there are more people with mobility problems
and there are more cars) require us to look
closely at whether or not the proportion of
designated parking spaces has kept pace with
those other changes.
We believe
it has not.
We have received a
commitment from the NSW Government that that
issue would be examined with us.
Fact:
Last week the RTA confirmed for us that
there are almost 2,000,000 cars in NSW. That
makes the number of MPS permit holders 13% of
the number of vehicles. That's enough
statistical data to convince us to do two
things:
1. Lobby
the NSW government for state action to
increase the proportion of designated parking
spots.
2. Recommend
that the proportion be increased in our
response to the draft DDA Disability Standard
on access to premises.
Dougie Herd - Executive
Officer - PDCN :: 24th February
2004
For
More Information: 
Mobility
Parking Scheme, RTA NSW
