A pensioner has slammed new parking rules which he says make life more difficult for disabled drivers.
This year saw the introduction of charges for blue badge holders using council-owned car parks.
But cost isn’t the only problem according to Michael Walsh, who says disabled people also find it difficult to work the pay-and-display machines where they have to input the registration number of their car.
Mr Walsh, 82, lives in Stretford but regularly drives to Ashton to do his shopping.
The retired photographer, who has spinal problems, visited the town recently where he says he witnessed a woman struggling to use Water Street’s car park machine and being insulted by the queue forming behind her.
He said: "If the council wants to charge then that’s their right – but the machines are very technical and it’s a recipe for making disabled people feel very inferior.
"I’m an IT expert and the keyboard is a horrendous thing. It’s bad enough for people who are mobile, healthy and have got reasonably good eyesight.
"It’s just not right putting disabled people in such a position where they can be insulted.
"They should devise something better. It’s a bad system and it will cause a lot of problems."
Prior to the changes, disabled drivers could park free on council car parks for up to three hours.
They now have to pay for an hour – but get the second hour for free. Nationally, blue badge fees have also jumped from £2 to £10. Mr Walsh has demanded a meeting with Tameside council chiefs to discuss his concerns.
Coun Peter Robinson, head of transport and development, said: "Prior to any decision being taken to introduce charges for blue badge holders, a full equality impact assessment was carried out as well as a survey of our machines to ensure their compliance with the Disability and Discrimination Act.
"We have allowed an additional hour to compensate for the additional time it will take people with disabilities to obtain a ticket and do their shopping.
"Work is also ongoing to ensure that disabled bays are as close to the machines as possible.
"We will continue to review our car parks in light of any comments we receive."
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Peter Robinson has no idea how difficult it is to find a parking space then walk to the other side of the car park to the machine, cue up, walk back to the car, then when you are already worn out get on with whatever brought you to the car park.
it isnt just cost I would have willingly paid more for a badge, but the limit is £10.
Its all very well saying you may buy a pass for hundreds of pound but these are people who may not get out that often.
The badge and the parking charge mean disabled people are being charged more than able bodied to park
Tameside Council have always been first class! At picking on the 'soft targets' in society that is, whether it be the disabled or the (responsible) dog walkers across the borough. If it wasn't so infuriating it would be hilarious. This is the same Council that also has a ban on the drinking of alcohol in the street or other public place under threat of a fine, yet it goes on unabated and openly in some areas. We all know that the new fees for blue badge holders - like so many other 'back door' charges - are all about raising revenue due to having had their ability to raise funds via Council Tax income capped for the last two years by central Government, and whilst they do seem very eager to enforce the litter laws against people who happen to drop a fag end or lolly stick in Ashton town centre, why, I wonder, are they not getting to grips with the anti-drinking fines and then maybe the blue badge holders could go back to enjoying free parking and not feel so victimised as those who deserve to be; it's not much to ask now, is it?
Needs means testing, lets face it there are some disbled people driving around in range rovers etc.
So when did Tameside council suposedly inform all blue badge holders of this decision, Both myself and my mother have blue badges and also i have several friends with them, none of us have had any notification at all from Tameside, the last we heard was last year and they were just proposals that were being considered, i had no idea until someone mentioned it in passing to me last week, so in efect ,each time we have parked in the town centre since this came into force in january ,we have been illegally parked and been very lucky not to get a parking fine, as someone else said,if you take into account the £10 charge for the blue badge this means disabled badge holders are now being charged more to park than other people, is this not disability discrimination by the local authority ?
On Hyde car park yesterday there was a posse of parking attendants checking the cars.
In this weeks advertiser letters page there is a letter from a man who's father had a heart attack looking for a place and then struggling to pay at the machine.
Tameside council are just joining in with the vilification of disable people that is going on at the moment.
I now cannot use the car parks unless I have someone with me to get the ticket.
I have had youth throwing stones at me because I walk so slowly.
It's a tough world but how grateful these disabled drivers must feel to have basically a free car!