Disabled parking in Donegal Town

pbarr

I would like to get peoples advice on the disabled parking situation in Donegal Town particularly in the Diamond. Last weekend I was attending an event in one of the hotels which was taking place over two days and we were staying in the hotel. I use a wheelchair and have a disabled badge so a couple of weeks before I rang the hotel to ask what the disabled parking situation was on the street in front of the hotel. I was told no problem just put up your blue badge and you'll be ok and we'll give you a ticket from the hotel to put on your dash as well.
When we arrived my wife went in to the hotel to get the ticket only to be told that we couldn't park there. We ended up having to park down in the carpark across from the Garda station where I could only see two disabled spaces which had cars parked in them with no disabled badges. My wife then had to push the wheelchair up the hill to the hotel. Good job the weather was fine or we both would have been soaked.
I know that the hotels use these spaces for coaches but have they the right to stop disabled people in particular from parking on the street outside their doors.

muffler

pbarr wrote: »

I know that the hotels use these spaces for coaches but have they the right to stop disabled people in particular from parking on the street outside their doors.

I have no idea myself but did you notice any designated disabled parking bays outside the hotel? Strictly speaking you have to follow the designated parking areas whether that be at the front of the hotel or elsewhere.

In any event Id suggest you contact both the hotel management again and also look for an explanation from Donegal County Council

overshoot

I'm told there is nothing in the town charter to cover the bus spaces, if the painted council lines over rule it i don't know but i never see any enforcement.
The only disabled spaces i can think of are 2 next to the old tourist office (where your referring), 2 at the post office and a few between begleys and the diamond centre in the car park.
But given there is zero enforcement of double parking enforcement of disabled spaces.....
I saw a guard ticketing a car outside the courthouse last week, double yellows and it wad the only enforcement iv ever seen in the town bar no parking tickets.

I'm sure a plea to a councillor could get one on the diamond tho, certainly due! And maybe a loading bay, but removed double parking and they would be less havoc With loading. Main st could also do with them

pbarr

muffler wrote: »

I have no idea myself but did you notice any designated disabled parking bays outside the hotel?

I'm nearly sure there aren't any Muffler. One of the hotels has a big area at their front marked out for buses while the other one had boards out with no parking marked on them. There was a couple of cars parked in between but they were in ordinary spaces.
I don't think we'll be going back there again after that experience.Its just not worth the hassle.

muffler

pbarr wrote: »

I use a wheelchair and have a disabled badge so a couple of weeks before I rang the hotel to ask what the disabled parking situation was on the street in front of the hotel. I was told no problem just put up your blue badge and you'll be ok and we'll give you a ticket from the hotel to put on your dash as well.

Thats the most important part of your post. You are obviously certified as being disabled and thats bad enough but to be discriminated against because of a physical disability is shocking.

I feel pretty strongly about these issues myself and I know if it were me I would be making a formal complaint to the hotel manager together with seeking clarification from the Gardai and the Council regarding the provision and supervision of disabled parking bays in the town.

Quite simply, its not good enough that you should have to endure that.