StrategicPlan-24-26 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 14
PROJECTS
Bay Watch Campaign
What is the Bay Watch Campaign
and why did we launch it?
At present, Gardai and Traffic wardens
do not have the power to issue fines to
drivers who illegally park in accessible
parking bays in private carparks
like shopping centres, educational
institutions, hospitals and other spaces.
To tackle the issue, we launched the Bay Watch
campaign with two objectives in mind. The first
is calling on the Government to change the
existing legislation so that gardai and traffic
wardens can impose fines on those parking
illegally in private accessible bays. The second
is to highlight the ongoing abuse of disabled
parking bays in general and to push for greater
enforcement of existing regulations.
We commissioned a nationally representative
survey and in tandem with the DDAI’s own
member research, underscored the lack of
knowledge about the existing legislation around
private carparks not only amongst the public but
also amongst disabled drivers themselves.
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The Research revealed that, contrary to the
existing position, 42% of those surveyed believed
that a traffic warden or a garda can issue a
parking fine to someone parked in a disabled
parking bay in a private carpark. 45% said they
didn’t know.
7 in 10 of those surveyed said that those who
illegally park in disabled parking bays should
face prosecution, not just fines.
A separate survey of 800 DDAI members
revealed that one third (33%) were unaware
that the gardai do not have the powers to
impose fines on illegal parking in private bays.
95% of these respondents said that those who
illegally parked in accessible bays should face
prosecution.
