The council’s Wagga access reference group raised the issue in a meeting on Monday and the council has also received at least one written complaint about timed disabled parking. 

A driver with a disability, via a letter to The Daily Advertiser, described the signs as being “ignorant” of the rules under the Mobility Parking Scheme and 

He stated he had driven all over Australia and never seen anywhere else with timed disabled parking.

“In a misguided and perhaps arrogant attempt to control disability access, Council has imposed timed parking on the disabled parking spaces in Baylis, Fitzmaurice and Gurwood Streets,” he stated.

“This has been achieved by roughly plastering 1P and 2P stickers over the original standard Disabled Parking signs.”

According to the driver, the stickers were probably put in place late last year.

Wagga City Council commercial operations director Caroline Angel said the council had sought advice from Roads and Maritime Services  regarding time limits on disabled parking bays.

“Council is committed to making our community inclusive and accessible for all through the implementation of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan,” she said.

“(The council) has consulted with its members on a number of projects, including disabled parking, accessible toilet facilities and more.”

Regional Disability Advocacy Service executive officer Martin Butcher told The Daily Advertiser that there could be circumstances where time limits were appropriate but he generally opposed them.

“Time limits on disabled parking could discourage people from participating in society,” he said.

Some of the timed disabled parking spaces were located on Fitzmaurice Street and on Gurwood Street opposite Woolworths.

There are also disabled parking spaces in high-traffic areas like Baylis Street that have no time limits.

Ms Angel said no fines had been issued to a person with a disability parking permit for exceeding a time limit on a disabled parking bay.

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