Monday 22 September 2008

Parking Bays.


Mr Smith is all for equal rights for people, but Jackie Baillie MSP's proposals for legislation on strengthening the powers in relation to the misuse of disabled parking bays may be one idea that goes to far.

"Plans to hammer able-bodied drivers who park in disabled spaces could have big financial consequences for Scottish councils. Dundee City Council has revealed that the cost of setting up and running the scheme would be around £330,000 in the first year."

If it is going to cost Scottish councils millions of pounds to enforce the new legislation and the actual benefit of the moves may be quite limited by comparison, this seems to be going to far. The whole point of disabled parking bays is to make it easier for disabled people holding blue badges to park, but that is not a right, it is merely an additional benenfit which society has chosen to create.

To Mr Smith this smacks of the Dog Fouling Act and the Breastfeeding Act which were well intentioned measures when the Scottish Parliament passed them but which have generated minimal public policy benefit.

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