PPC and Supermarkets - complaining about that Sainsburys leaflet!

trisontana

oldone wrote: »

The second leaflet says only park in disabled spaces if you have a valid blue badge.

Doesn't say anything about having to display it.:D

As Coupon-Mad has pointed out in a letter to the supermarket:-

I also said I believe that introducing a restriction of their disabled bays to 'Blue Badge holders only' (also emblazoned on the dreadful leaflet) seems to me to fall outside of the DDA obligations which are statutory for any retailer which provides car parking spaces.

The DDA definition of a disabled person is very clear (and it doesn't include 'having a Blue Badge'). AFAIK, disabled bays provided by retailers must be available to anyone who meets the DDA definition of disability. If not, then they are treating some disabled people differently (people who rarely travel by car, or foreign visitors, may fit the DDA decription but wouldn't be expected to have a BB).

I also pointed out that BB's have no legal status on private land anyway, in case they or their PPC's have overlooked that fact.

vikingaero

Altarf wrote: »

So what is your solution to prevent people from selfishly parking in a disabled space when they shouldn't? As I said before I don't agree with the charging method?

I don't agree with the charging method either, but it's better than no steps to police these bays. Solutions:

(1) Legislate in Parliament?
(2) Station a tow truck and lift these miscreants once they have gone inside?

trisontana

vikingaero wrote: »

I don't agree with the charging method either, but it's better than no steps to police these bays. Solutions:

(1) Legislate in Parliament?
(2) Station a tow truck and lift these miscreants once they have gone inside?

Or, as some supermarkets do, have a barrier with a token and/or proof of purchase system to control the parking. Simple.

Coupon-mad

vikingaero wrote: »

I don't agree with the charging method either, but it's better than no steps to police these bays.

Sorry can't agree. Why is it better? Why do these bays have to be 'policed'? Retailers and their agents cannot 'police' disabled bays and impose penalties legally (unless they hand part of the car park over to the Council and ensure the signage is clear to show this).

What is/was wrong with Supermarkets simply providing LOTS of disabled bays? That way they satisfy their requirements under the DDA and don't hit any of their customers (disabled or not) with scam fines. You simply CANNOT TELL who is disabled just by looking at them park and walk away from their car - and the Supermarkets cannot rely on the Blue Badge scheme either (not legally, anyway).

IMHO no Supermarket or retail site should be hounding/threatening their customers and it is ASTONISHING that they can even think that it's a good idea. They have obviously been brainwashed by the PPCs who seem to have convinced them that a PPC will 'police' their carpark and somehow absolve the retailer of having to do anything to comply with the DDA.

But the tactics of the PPCs actually go against the DDA! IMHO, supermarkets would in fact be more compliant with that law if they just provided lots and lots of accessible bays and did nothing more than that.

If the site is near another facility (such as a Football Ground or Shopping Centre) and likely to be used by non-customers then they can also use a barrier system as suggested above by trisontana. Such systems can be automated or run by one staff member, and if operated properly could pay for themselves by forcing all parkers to spend at least a fiver each that they may not otherwise have spent.




P.S. No reply from Sainsburys yet to my letter complaining about the leaflet and the use of PPCs - but I will let you all know if and when I get one. The letter went to HO and the Store Manager by name so I am hopeful of a reply. Is it too much to hope that the delay means they are actually looking into the matter properly...?