Why restrict disabled parking? (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Why restrict disabled parking?

3:07pm Wednesday 17th June 2009 in Your Say

SIR — My elderly mother rarely goes into Winchester now, but will only go when I take her in my car.

Hitherto we have parked by Boots Opticians after 3pm as she has a (Disabled) Blue Badge; she was horrified when she heard, through your letters page, that this facility has been removed until 4pm, far too late in the day to be convenient.

Cllr Jackie Porter said last week she had been told it was something to do with the buses; she couldn’t understand this, nor can we.

Whenever we have used the parking bay, buses have had no problem getting past; in any case, if this were the reason, one would have thought that before 10am and after 4pm, coinciding with rush hour, would have been the worst times for the parking bay to be used!

We would like to ask the council why this restriction has been brought in, and if, as we suspect there is no sound reason for it, to reinstate the Blue Badge parking facility, but to extend the hours — say between 10am and 5pm?!

Elizabeth Thorn (Miss), Airlie Lane, Winchester.