Police face furious reactions after car with speed cameras is parked on the sidewalk and wheelchairs, prams and mobility scooters are denied access
- The police van was parked on a curb on Otley Road in Baildon
- Van led to complaints about disabled people not having access to the sidewalk
The police have been criticized for hindering disabled people and mothers with prams by parking a camera van on the sidewalk.
Anger erupted after a photo of the vehicle parked opposite a factory entrance in Otley Road, Baildon, near Bradford, was shared on social media.
The van, spotted on Friday, August 4, drew complaints from mothers with pushchairs and disabled people in wheelchairs or on mobility scooters who couldn’t pass because the vehicle was apparently parked in front of a lowered curb.
A resident responded to the post saying, “It’s not a designated space and they block wheelchair access.
“If someone else parked in front of a lowered curb, they’d get a ticket.”
The police van was parked outside a factory at a lowered curb, leading to complaints about accessibility
Lowered curbs are vital for wheelchair users to cross the road without getting off.
Another added: “Because it blocks the path you can get around it, but you have to cross uneven terrain and a guide dog won’t get around a car parked in the wrong spot.”
Another comment read: ‘Those lowered curbs are for people with mobility problems and the visually impaired.’
The operator was also charged with blocking a fire gate, but the business was said to be closed at the time.
Also, the person who took the photo was accused of blocking the sidewalk.
He replied, ‘For 30 seconds I was yes. Not long enough to cause a problem for the two people pushing buggies.”
Parking guidelines for camera car operators vary by province.
Some forces claim that the driver is always in the vehicle and can move it at any time if there is a problem.
Some operators are advised to always leave enough space for a pushchair to pass them.
It is also argued that there is no specific offense for curb parking outside London.
Legislation may be introduced in the future to restrict parking on the curb, and a number of forces are fining motorists whose cars interfere.
In 2015, the driver of a speed camera van in Gloucester was fined for blocking both the pavement and a cycle path.
Mail Online has contacted West Yorkshire Police for comment.