11:58am Friday 11th January 2008
By Jane Willis
Supermarket chain ASDA has revealed plans to fine shoppers who misuse disabled and parent and child parking bays at its stores.
The move, which will come into force for stores in the North West on March 10, will see abusers fined up to £60 for parking in parent and child and disabled spaces.
The supermarket chain, which has local stores in Preston, Fulwood, Clayton-le-Woods, Fleetwood and Blackpool, has tasked wardens from DVLA-registered Town and City car parks to patrol its supermarket parking areas to look for potential offenders.
Drivers caught in a bay they are not entitled to use will be asked to move on or risk getting a fine.
Motorists who leave their vehicle in an incorrect bay will get fined.
Fines will be distributed through the post using contact details obtained through the DVLA and will be reduced to £30 if paid within a fortnight.
All profits generated from the fines will go to baby charity Tommy's and Motability, a leading car scheme for disabled people.
Jane Brewin, chief executive of Tommy's, the baby charity, said: "A routine trip to the shops can turn into a nightmare for some parents - especially when they don't have adequate parking spaces and other much needed parent and baby services made available to them.
"Tommy's believe that organisations that claim to put the needs of parents first should seriously look at their parking policy for parents to uncover whether their schemes actually work in practice.
"ASDA is setting a great example by ensuring that supermarkets are as accessible for parents as possible, by penalising those who exploit bays specifically reserved for parents with young children.
"Putting fines in place for parking misuse is a bold move by ASDA but is the right one for giving parents with young children a helping hand."
The new parking system comes into force on Monday in North London and will be rolled out at gradually at stores across the country until fully implemented in all stores by March 14.
It follows a trial of six stores in the Merseyside area late last year and a survey of ASDA customers which, according to bosses, revealed that four out of five customers believed rolling out the scheme nationwide was the right thing to do.
New signs will be put up on the supermarket's car parks advising motorists of the parking change.
Stores where ASDA does not own the car park will not be affected by the change.
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