Poor design has led to a mobility parking space in Bell Block becoming more of a hindrance than a help. The special parking space is meant to provide people with disabilities or medical conditions with easy access to the shopping complex in Bell Block. However, the car park is rendered inaccessible if vehicles are parked on both sides of it, as seen in the photo below. A photo of the blocked parking space was posted on the Facebook site You’ve got my Car Park, want my Disability too? The caption for the photo said some vehicles had been boxed in and drivers had had to wait until the other cars were moved so they could get out of the parking space. Sara Georgeson, project manager for the New Zealand mobility parking permit scheme, said the spot could not be used by anyone. Jim Willson, the general manager of infrastructure for the New Plymouth District Council, said he knew about the problem and it should be fixed in the next 10 days.
