MBPP agrees to look into disabled parking issue

GEORGE TOWN: If the Penang Consumer Protection Association has their way, there will no longer be any squabbles between local authorities and drivers who park in disabled (OKU) lots.
Following an incident where a woman with a wheel-chair bound mother had her car clamped for parking in an OKU parking lot, the association's president Datuk K. Koris Atan held a discussion with the Penang Island City Council (MBPP).
Koris said that in principle, the MBPP has agreed to look into allowing drivers to photostat copies of the OKU cards which belong to their disabled friends or relatives, and fix them inside their vehicles if they are out performing chores for the people under their care.
"These people are usually the caregivers and the local authorities should provide them with an exemption," said Koris.
He said the OKU sticker is usually printed for one vehicle and it is confined to the OKU recipient, but not any third parties.
"But nowadays, many disabled people rely on their caregivers to help them perform important chores in town such as banking and dealing with government departments. So if they could just photostat a copy of their OKU sticker and leave it with their caregiver's vehicle, it should be sufficient to park in disabled lots."
The system can work if the OKU only allows their caregivers to photocopy their cards, and not abuse the process.
In the future, the same treatment should be accorded to those ferrying around ailing senior citizens if it works, said Koris.
His proposal was met with a promise by MBPP councillor Chris Lee Chun Kit for the council to study the idea.
Lee said that the main objective of the council was to ensure that the OKU facilities are available to those who are genuinely disabled, and not end up being abused by a small minority.
"Every procedure in the implementation is one which we wish we can avoid but we have to follow in order to help people with disabilities."