Conor McGinn MP Member of Parliament for St Helens North
Conor has vowed to raise awareness of motorists who abuse disabled parking bays.
The Labour politician met with residents Kelly Hayes and Lisa Brennan, who are both regular visitors to Parr Swimming and Fitness Centre.
They say they have both had to deal with difficulties caused by “inconsiderate” parking in the disabled spots by drivers who do not have a blue badge.
Commenting ConorхЪsaid: “I’m glad that Kelly and Lisa brought this to my attention. In St Helens we pride ourselves on a spirit of solidarity and the strength of our community.
“So it’s really sad that the inconsiderate behaviour of a minority is causing upset and distress for disabled people.”
He added: “It’s clear to me that this problem is more widespread than first thought, and as well as raising awareness we need to think about how to deal with persistent offenders.
“I will be working with the council and disability groups locally to find a way forward.”
Lisa, who is disabled herself, said: “The problem is you get a lot of people who do park on disabled bays and don’t have a blue badge which can be frustrating, especially if you need that space and can’t get access.
“You do get it in other places quite often in supermarkets and places like that. It is inconsiderate and if you do have to park somewhere else it could be a big round trip to get where I want to get. Not everyone in a wheelchair is confident getting up and down the on kerbs,” added Lisa, 43.
Meanwhile, Kelly, whose 10-year-old son Jake has autism, added: “This has been going on for about a year at Parr baths. There are various types of disability, you don’t have to be in a chair and I think it is about acceptance.”
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