Car Park Abusers At Asda Stores To Receive Record Fine

Wed, 26 Sep 2007
 
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Asda is set to fine shoppers who abuse priority parking spaces at its stores .

The new scheme by the supermarket giant is a tough new approach towards motorists who park in disabled and child parking bays, with offenders now set to receive a £60 fine .

Initially, the clampdown is being tested at six stores in the Merseyside area, but could well spread to other parts of the country if successful.

Asda said attendants will monitor car parks, write up fixed-penalty notices and dispatch them to the owners of any vehicle that's parked illegally in priority spaces.

The retailer says it is acting to stop abuse of its system following the failure of previous persuasion methods, which saw Asda's "car park hosts" asking shoppers not to park in the reserved bays.

In addition, leaflets were placed on car windows and loudspeaker messages were also played, but both failed to have the desired effect on shoppers.

The store group denied accusations that it was simply seeking to catch unsuspecting motorists .

Asda's customer service manager, Paul Hedley, said: "By using these bays without good reason, the actions of the few have a huge impact on many.

"Most of us are guilty of taking our ablebodied-status for granted. That means many of us simply don't realise just how hard crossing a car park with shopping can be if walking is a real struggle."

"Similarly, those of us who aren't parents are often surprised to learn that, without wide parking spaces, it's almost impossible to remove a baby's car seat from a car ." He added.

The company said that money raised from the penalty charges would be used to fund the cost of the patrols, while any profits gained would pay for extra wardens.

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