Newcastle Mall to clamp down on illegal parking

For able-bodied people, it is hard to imagine the frustration of the physically disabled caused by inconsiderate and selfish motorists who park in specially allocated parking bays for the disabled.

The management of Newcastle Mall has now taken a firm stand against the misuse of these parking spaces. From May 26, vehicles of perpetrators will be clamped until a sizeable fine has been paid.

“When the mall was designed, special attention was given to the needs of the disabled, thus the 16 wider parking bays for the disabled were created and situated closest to the entrances,” said Beulah Rajkumar, Marketing Manager for Newcastle Mall. “What was not anticipated, was the magnitude of the abuse and inconsideration to those in genuine need of these parking bays. It is also important for the public to note transgressors will need a receipt to have the clamp removed.”

Only vehicles displaying valid parking permits for the disabled will be allowed to use the clearly demarcated parking bays situated close to the entrances of the mall.

Application for such a permit can be made at the Protection Services office, and must be completed by a medical doctor. Only an official permit, bearing permit holder’s name and a serial number, will be acceptable and the traffic department will keep a record thereof.

“Any vehicle not displaying a valid disabled parking disc and parking illegally in these disabled parking bays will be clamped with immediate effect, and will thus be subjected to a R500 cash fine, payable at the Centre Management/ Security office. Once paid, a receipt will be issued and the clamp will be removed,” said Mrs Rajkumar.

New signage will be placed at the main gates, informing drivers they are entering a clamping zone. Further signs will be placed at all the designated parking bays, stipulating the exact conditions under which drivers may use the parking spaces, and the consequences for any misuse.

“The mall sincerely hopes that no money is generated from the clamping of illegal parkers as this is in direct relation to the number of people abusing the system. As this potentially disadvantages our disabled customers, it is only right that any profit generated be used to contribute towards organisations benefiting disabled people directly. This will be investigated in more detail at a later stage,” continued Mrs Rajkumar.

“The mall’s initial reaction was to try and reason with these illegal parkers, but it has become evident that the problem is not going away. The mall has thus unfortunately had to resort to a more drastic approach, by introducing a clamping system,” she concluded.

Extra security will be placed in and around the mall parking lot, to monitor the use of the parking bays for the disabled closely. Illegal parking might soon receive a stern, steel reprimand from Newcastle Mall management.

Motorists are again urged to consider the difficulty faced by our disabled residents.