Disabled parking bays are generally active 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Thousands of fines have been issued in Belfast so far this year for parking in disabled spaces illegally, but a charity working for and with disabled people has said it highlights more complex issues.
In a request for information to the Department for Infrastructure made by Belfast Live, it was discovered that a total of 565 fines were issued across the designated on-street parking locations across Belfast overseen by the Department in the first eight months of this year. In Northern Ireland, disabled parking regulations are different compared to the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. In these other jurisdictions, disabled people are not required to pay for parking in council-owned car parks.
Nuala Toman, the organisation's Head of Policy, Communications, Information, and Advocacy, told Belfast Live these recent statistics highlight how disabled people in Northern Ireland are "treated less favourably" compared to their counterparts in other jurisdictions. "Blue Badge holders can park free of charge and without a time limit at all on-street pay and display but face charges in council-owned car parks. Information relating to the need to pay in council-owned car parks is not readily accessible.
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