Parents demand action as drivers use parent and child parking…
Parents are demanding stricter enforcement for shoppers who misuse parent and child parking bays when they don't have a child with them. Many parents confess to struggling to find an available space in busy car parks, such as those at supermarkets. Parents with young children report that they've occasionally been forced to park in standard sized parking bays due to all the designated spaces being occupied. Consequently, they face difficulties as the standard parking spaces are too narrow to comfortably remove infants from car seats. A standard-size parking bay measures 4.8 metres in length and 2.4 metres in width, leaving only 30cm for exiting a car, which for those using car seats with small babies, is approximately 17cm too narrow. 'Parent and child' parking bays not only offer the advantage of being closer to building entrances, but they also provide additional space between bays, giving parents more room to park and exit their vehicle safely. The general opinion appears to be that it's the size of the parking bay that's the problem, not its proximity to the store. Rules stipulate that the designated bays are for the use of parents and guardians who are accompanying a child under the age of 12 into the shop. However, it appears that a staggering number of drivers are exploiting the system by parking in these spaces without having a child with them, causing significant inconvenience for those who genuinely need to use them. Intrigued by how often shoppers would disregard these rules, Yorkshire Live spent an hour observing local supermarket car parks, including Morrisons, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Aldi and Lidl. Despite clear signage at all supermarkets regarding parent and child spaces, it seems some motorists are still willing to flout the rules for the sake of convenience. At every supermarket, drivers seemed to be misusing the bays designated for people with children. READ MORE: Keep up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from Hull
SEE FULL ARTICLE