Page 1861 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 2 May 2012
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converted to the new standard and will need to be relocated. Where possible, requests for additional spaces received directly by Roads ACT or through correspondence to other members, and indeed myself, have been covered by this program of upgrading works. For example, additional spaces have been provided at the Tuggeranong town centre and the Jamison shopping centre.
Unfortunately, I think it is clear that the new Australian standard has caused some disquiet in the community. The previous standard was based on the familiar “wide bay” arrangement, where motorists had space to manoeuvre their vehicle and use equipment such as walkers or wheelchairs. One of the main changes in the new standard is the space layout and the introduction of a shared area, with a bollard to prevent illegal parking on the shared area. These changes take account of new vehicle technology, including side discharge ramps.
The government has received a number of complaints about the new standard, such as the requirement for some users to reverse into the space to make best use of the shared space on one side of the bay. Also, the bollards that are in place to prevent illegal parking on the shared space have required ongoing maintenance after being hit by vehicles or vandalised. Roads ACT plans to investigate and trial the use of more flexible designs and advice will also be sought from interstate authorities who are implementing this new standard. As I understand it, we are a bit ahead of the game. It will be interesting to hear the feedback from interstate jurisdictions as they implement this new standard.
The motion calls on the government to ensure that all local centres meet the new requirements. This is certainly the intention of the government over time. However, upgrades at local shopping centres are yet to commence. The government plans to defer this work pending clarification of issues relating to the most suitable bollard to use, and to allow further public consultation. In light of the concerns that have been raised, there is a need to improve public awareness of the new standard, the implementation works and the correct use of the shared space at a local level.
Some motorists feel that the new spaces are smaller than the previous “wide bays”, whereas the spaces are actually wider when the shared area is taken into account. I am aware of a particular case relating to the rollout of the Australian standard for off-street parking for people with disabilities that is currently before ACAT. The same matter has also been raised with the human rights commissioner and has been taken up with the commonwealth Disability Discrimination Commissioner and with the Director-General of TAMS.
As I have said, the new Australian standard does require some drivers to reverse into a dedicated space in order for them or their passenger to alight onto the shared area. We recognise that this can be difficult for some users. In order to address these concerns, Roads ACT plans to send information with a mail-out to all holders of a mobility parking permit and additional information will be placed on the TAMS website. Parking Operations is providing an educative role as part of its enforcement of mobility parking spaces and this includes issuing warning notices to holders of a mobility parking permit parking incorrectly in the shared area.
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