W2C-009 North Down Herald-2.txt
Disabled losing out to taxis? Caroline Cooper

Even taxis have more parking spaces than disabled drivers in Bangor town centre, it was claimed this week.

Bangor resident Tom O'Brien said that he was "deeply concerned" by the lack of adequate disabled persons'parking spaces in the town and, in particular, at the top of Main Street.

A disabled driver, Mr O'Brien, from Glastry Gardens in Kilcooley estate, was responding to a recent report in the Herald and Post which outlined a Bangor mother's concern at "nuisance" disabled drivers.

She claimed they were "causing havoc" in the town centre.

"What I would like to ask this woman, and anyone else who may agree with her, is where are disabled people supposed to park, when from Abbey Street to Lower Main Street there are just four spaces for disabled people?" he asked.

Disabled

With around 7,000 disabled people in North Down and Ards area, the Bangor man said it was a "disgrace" there were only four disabled spaces in the immediate town centre. "If I want to go into Bangor on a Saturday, the only parking spaces for the disabled are at the bottom of Main Street near to H Samuel's. There's just no way I could walk up the hill to the top of the street with my disability," said Mr O'Brien.

"There are disabled spaces in the car park at the marina. That is all very well, but it is even further away and impossible for me, and many other people like me, to walk that distance," he added.

Taxis, the Bangor man claimed, currently have more room to park than disabled drivers.

"Where's the justice in that?" asked Mr O'Brien.

The Orange Badge holder said he and many others like him were becoming increasingly anxious about the "misuse" of disabled spaces.
"It infuriates me when even these few precious disabled parking spaces are taken up by fully able-bodied people who would be perfectly capable of parking further away and walking into the centre.
"Ideally, what I would like to see is the spaces on one side of the street at the top half of Main Street designated for disabled drivers, allowing them to park and shop with ease," he suggested.

It is understood the Department of Environment is currently monitoring the use of disabled parking spaces within the town, following the introduction of the one-way system in May 1992.
