THE QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) has raised the alarm over widespread abuse of parking bays designated for people with disabilities, blaming inconsistent municipal regulations and poor enforcement for leaving wheelchair users stranded and excluded from public spaces.

Ari Seirlis, treasurer of QASA, said the lack of uniform national legislation has created loopholes that enable people with minor mobility impairments, or none at all, to occupy wheelchair-accessible bays.

Related story: Durban North resident calls for action against abuse of disabled parking bays

“The various municipalities have different application processes and criteria as to who they approve to use the wheelchair-demarcated parking bays,” said Seirlis.

“This allows for people with lightweight disabilities to successfully apply and get the accredited disc.”

Wheelchair-accessible parking bays must be at least 3.5m wide to provide enough space for a wheelchair user to get in or out of their vehicle.

When these bays are illegally occupied, wheelchair users are left without alternatives because standard parking bays are too narrow.

“These bays are abused not because of the width but rather because of the location, as they’re closest to entrances and very convenient for abusers,” explained Seirlis.

While South Africa’s Road Traffic Act states that disabled parking facilities are reserved for those with accredited authority, there is no national parking permit system. Instead, municipal by-laws vary widely, leading to confusion and lax enforcement.

“Enforcement is a problem. Municipal traffic departments don’t see this as a priority. Car guards and private security feel intimidated to get into arguments with people abusing the facility.”

QASA has been lobbying the Department of Transport for over a decade to implement a national policy that would restrict disabled parking discs strictly to wheelchair users.

Meanwhile, the association is working with shopping centres and other facilities to improve signage and enforcement, advocating for clear messages such as “Parking for wheelchair users only”.

However, progress has been slow. Some shopping centres have adopted clamping as a deterrent, while others fear driving customers away.

“The general public usually supports wheelchair users when they witness abuse but many abusers are people with mild disabilities such as a limp, a pacemaker, a hip or knee replacement, or older people who mistakenly believe these bays are meant for anyone who struggles to walk far.”

QASA has also launched a WhatsApp tip-off line where members of the public can report abuse by sending photos and details.

Seirlis urged South Africans to respect the purpose of these bays.

“The allocation of wheelchair parking in any facility is very small and usually insufficient. Once the bay is used by someone who doesn’t need it, wheelchair users are excluded from accessing the services they came for,” he said. “Enjoy walking the extra 20 or 30m while you still can.”

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