Govt admits lack of consultation on parking permits
Transport officials have conceded that they should have done a better job in consulting people before bringing in new permits for motorists carrying disabled passengers, after the ombudsman warned that the system could be being abused. In addition to "blue permits" allowing drivers with disabilities to use designated parking spaces at no cost, new "grey permits" were introduced in 2021, enabling drivers carrying somebody else with a disability to use these same parking spots. Ombudsman Winnie Chiu on Thursday noted that multiple vehicles can be registered under the same grey permit, but only one under a blue permit, saying this creates a perception of unfairness. "There should not be an unreasonable number of vehicles being permitted in one grey permit. There are no explanations as to why five vehicles need to be included in one permit, versus one vehicle included in one blue permit only," she said. Chiu said there have been occasions where multiple vehicles using the same grey permit have been found in disabled parking spaces at the same time, and permit holders have parked in the spots even when they were not carrying anyone with a disability. Unlike blue permit holders, grey permit holders who break the rules are not punished because the grey permit policy is only an administrative measure, Chiu added. She called for more inspections at the parking spaces, and for the blue and grey permit policies to be aligned. In response, the Transport Department (TD) said it agreed with the ombudsman's recommendations, explaining that the new grey permits were introduced in light of an application for a judicial review by a wheelchair-user who was unable to drive and could only travel with the assistance of a carer. The department said that after receiving legal advice, the government decided to expand the disabled parking space scheme as quickly as it could. "With hindsight, the TD agrees that before implementing the new measure, all relevant stakeholders should have been fully consulted and the implementation details be considered more carefully," it admitted. It said improvements have already been made, including tightening the application and approval requirements for the grey permits, and strengthening the monitoring of the use of the parking spaces. The department also acknowledged that the grey permit system drove up demand for the designated parking spaces, adding that the 449 spots available when the permits were first introduced has since been increased to 531.