Yahoo News New disabled parking shake-up in England 'disgusting' and will be 'nightmare'
Disabled drivers left stranded after a council replaced parking spots with a taxi rank. Disabled drivers have hit out at a "disgusting" parking shake up in England, after a change was pushed through in Greater Manchester, in Oldham, this week.
Disabled car parking spaces near the Integrated Care Centre just off Fountain Street were removed to make way for a taxi rank. Oldham Council said the regeneration plans for the town centre meant it had to "move things round".
Taking to social media, Donna Lewis said: "Why is it full of taxis and disabled can not get parked? It took me 20 minutes because the taxis won't move. This is meant to be for disabled only, the sign says so. Am I the only one annoyed by this?
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"I had to walk from ICC car park up the hill, it's a nightmare and painful. Taxis want to force disabled people to use a taxi, not drive themselves. Why take from the most vulnerable? It's ridiculous. I could understand if the car park was not used but it is always full.
"When I moved here I was actually pleased to see it as I hadn't seen anything like this anywhere else. I thought Oldham cared for their disabled residents. It's bad enough at supermarkets when people can't be bothered to walk so they park in a disabled space.
"It's constant and as a disabled driver that can't walk, it's maddening. If they want my space, I'd love to see them cope with the constant pain. I would gladly swap for a day and see how it made them feel." She continued: "[It] makes it harder for disabled people to get around or park for free. We pay for a badge yet still have to pay for parking in Spindles.
"When going to the market, the hill from Spindles is steep when you can't walk properly. Yet again, we are meant to take it." A second branded it "disgusting". They added: "It's disgusting. Oldham Council are robbing disabled badge holders from parking up.
"The council have sold disabled people down the line and don't give a f*** about us."
