THE misuse of disabled parking spaces is still causing wide-spread problems for blue badge holders in the Wee County.

Following a call out by the Advertiser, dozens of people got in touch to vent their frustration over non-badge holding drivers who inconsiderately park wherever they wish.

Police Scotland withdrew traffic wardens in 2014 and while local authorities may apply for powers under Decriminalised Parking Enforcement, Clackmannanshire Council last week confirmed it still has no intention to do so.

Clackmannan’s Kerrie Keen, whose four-year-old son Cooper suffers from cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus and has a VP shunt to drain brain fluid and relieve pressure, told the Advertiser she finds parking at Clackmannanshire Healthcare Centre “a nightmare”.

She said: “A big problem in this area, in my opinion, is also there aren’t’ enough disabled parking bays.

“We are actually applying for a disabled bay to be put outside my son’s nursery and a big worry is people will still park in it.

“The nursery has a bus bay and people ignore that too.”

She thinks more enforcement is needed and added: “I don’t think people realise that we actually apply with medical back up and we pay for these blue badges.

“It’s not a big fee, but maybe the money taken from this could be put towards some sort of enforcement?”

Ultimately, she says, it comes back to “people understanding and respecting each other’s needs”.

Chris Pike, who lives in Tullibody and has had a blue badge for four years now, also experienced issues when he went to the doctor’s.

He said he couldn’t get into a disabled bay because a motorbike was parked there and added “the amount of people who don’t have blue badges and take up disabled bays is a disgrace, this needs to be sorted ASAP – a fine or [taken] to court as this is very distressing for people like myself in a wheelchair and many others who are genuinely disabled”.

Chris called for officials in charge to step up.

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alexander Stewart last week called for a public awareness campaign on the issue with the ultimate goal of educating and informing people on disability parking space misuse.

As a member of the Local Government and Communities Committee, he has been part of meetings to scrutinise the legislation covering the issue, which does not cover private car parks, and heard opinions from organisations and members of the public.

He said: “In my opinion, the catchphrase coined by one correspondent - ‘if you want my disabled parking space; please have my disability’ - is highly poignant.

“A strong message is needed, which I feel very much would lead people to understand the consequences to somebody that is disabled of actually parking in their disabled space.

“Once they do understand this, then the majority of people will indeed change their behaviour.”