Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the 'Draft Council Recommendation on a parking card for disabled persons` (97/C 42/05)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to its decision of 18 September 1996, acting under the fourth paragraph of Article 193c of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to draw up an Opinion on the Draft Council Recommendation on a parking card for disabled persons [COM(95) 696 final - 95/0353 (SYN)];

Having regard to the Draft Opinion (CdR 307/96), adopted by Commission 4 on 27 September 1996 (Rapporteur: Ms Freehill);

Having regard to the report of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) 'Towards a common European parking badge for motorists with disabilities`,

adopted the following opinion at its 15th plenary session on 13-14 November 1996 (meeting of 14 November).

1. Introduction

1.1. Increasingly people with disabilities are availing of opportunities to travel abroad, although their ability to take advantage of the freedom of movement enjoyed by the other EU citizens is being hampered by the fact that the use of the motor car, the preferred and only viable mode of transport, is reduced by the restrictions on special parking facilities for visitors and the lack of information on such facilities in the Member States.

1.2. At present there is no EU-wide parking card for disabled persons, with increases in mobility being limited by the existence of many different national and regional parking cards. Problems exist when card holders attempt to use their parking card in another Member State while in some Member States problems arise between cards issued in different regions. This, therefore, creates confusion and uncertainty as the disabled motorist faces the possibility of being penalized if the card issued by the Member State or region is not fully recognized in other Member States or regions.

1.3. The proposed parking card originates from a recommendation of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) in 1977, which brings together ministers from 31 European countries, that parking cards be issued from all Member States granting the same parking facilities as nationals of the country concerned and that these cards receive reciprocal recognition.

1.4. The proposal, which supplements the Community provisions in respect of a common transport policy, has as its main recommendations:

- the introduction of a national parking card for disabled persons, issued in accordance with the respective national provisions, on the basis of the standardized Community model;

- the reciprocal recognition of these parking cards for disabled persons introduced by each Member State, so that the holder of the card may benefit from the associated parking facilities in the respective countries;

- the issuing of these parking cards only to disabled persons with reduced mobility;

- that these arrangements are introduced by 1 January 1998 at the latest.

2. General observations

The Committee of the Regions

2.1. welcomes this opportunity to consult on the provision of a parking card for disabled persons as the issuing of parking cards for disabled persons often comes within the remit of local and regional authorities;

2.2. welcomes the introduction of a parking card which will provide for disabled people to take advantage of the freedom of movement enjoyed by other EU citizens, allowing them to travel freely throughout the EU without fear of incurring parking penalties or fines;

2.3. supports the recommendation that the parking card for disabled persons be issued in accordance with the respective local, regional and national provisions and on the basis of the standardized Community model;

2.4. recognizes that most Member States are receptive to the concept of a parking card recognized throughout the European Union and calls for such a system to be introduced without undue delay and without excessive additional costs being incurred by implementing or enforcement organizations;

2.5. recognizes that good planning and accurate information are key components in ensuring that journeys for disabled drivers are free from anxiety. It therefore supports the proposal that information on the respective local parking facilities be provided to disabled people;

2.6. stresses that difficulties in interpreting the rights to which the parking card entitles a person is avoided and recommends that a guide be prepared which will outline the facilities available, the rules on parking arrangements and the entitlements of card holders in each Member State. This guide should be made available through a range of media, including the Internet;

2.7. would welcome the implementation of a mechanism to facilitate further cooperation on the exchange of such information;

2.8. acknowledges the benefit of a widely recognizable standard parking card which would avoid confusion for both the card holder, attempting to use it in another Member State and the enforcement authority in each Member State. It does however propose that this EU card would operate in parallel with national and regional cards. These national cards have operated successfully for many years, are often linked directly to the facilities in terms of sign/symbols/colour codes and are easily distinguished. This would assist in reducing the costs of implementation and simplify the enforcement procedures;

2.9. recommends that tolerance be shown to disabled drivers from outside the EU in the use of parking facilities for the disabled. It would thus promote that similar agreements as proposed would be implemented with Member States of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT).

3. Specific observations in relation to the parking card

The Committee of the Regions

3.1. underlines the necessity to avoid abuse of the parking card, by non-disabled drivers. It thus proposes that the card be issued by the relevant authorities in each Member State, applying the existing eligibility criteria and that a photograph of the card holder be attached to the card for enforcement purposes, as well as an indication of the gender of the card holder;

3.2. also proposes that the card should contain a warning regarding misuse of the parking card;

3.3. considers that some of the details contained on the proposed card are unnecessary and pose a threat to the holder's safety. In particular the card holder's address and date of birth provide security problems and should not be displayed on the card as criminals could identify the homes of potential victims who would be less able to defend themselves;

3.4. considers that the parking card should apply to the card holder and not the vehicle. The card should therefore contain the holder's details but not those of the vehicle. This will allow some flexibility in that disabled drivers will be able to hire or borrow a car and enjoy the same facilities as those that have permanent access to a motor car;

3.5. proposes that the design of the parking card needs further refinement and consultation to avoid potential confusion and abuse.

4. Conclusion

The introduction of an EU-wide parking card for disabled people with reciprocal recognition is very welcome. It is important however, that there is no confusion between national or regional badges and the proposed EU card. They should be mutually supportive. This system should be implemented as soon as possible and supported by relevant and up-to-date information of facilities available in each Member State.

Brussels, 14 November 1996.

The Chairman of the Committee of the Regions

Pasqual MARAGALL i MIRA