Parking certificate for parents and spouses carrying people with disabilities on trial

Transport Department (TD) today (February 28) announced that a trial scheme for parents and spouses carrying their children, husband or wife with disabilities to park their vehicles at designated parking spaces in government multi-storey carparks will take effect from tomorrow (March 1).

The trial scheme which lasts for nine months will end in November.

Speaking at a press briefing, Senior Transport Officer, Mr Daniel Chung, said: "The scheme aims to facilitate parents and spouses to look after their family members with disabilities.

"Under the scheme, eligible drivers may apply for a Parking Certificate for parents or spouses who carry people with mobility disabilities to park their vehicles at the designated parking spaces at government multi-storey carparks.

"Holders of the certificate must carry their children or spouses with disabilities when making use of the certificate," Mr Chung said.

He added the designated parking spaces at the 13 government multi-storey carparks had increased from 16 to 39 in tandem with the scheme.

"We will closely monitor the utilization of these designated parking spaces and will add more if necessary," he said.

Details of the trial scheme and the application form are available on TD Website http://www.info.gov.hk/td/eng/services/services_menu_index.html.

Meanwhile, new Government Tunnels Disabled Driver Tickets and Tsing Ma Control Area Disabled Driver Tickets to people with disabilities will be issued with effect from March 1.

The two Disabled Driver Tickets are issued by TD to provide exemption to drivers with disabilities from payment of toll when using government tunnels and Lantau Link.

"To avoid transferals of the Tickets from eligible holders to other drivers to whom the Tickets are not issued, a warning statement is printed on the application form and the Tickets," he said.

He added that a six-month expiry date would also be printed on the Tickets to facilitate an effective monitoring on the new Tickets.

"Old Tickets without an expiry date will be void after June 1, 2002 and holders of these tickets should return them to TD Licensing Offices for cancellation."

Holders can contact TD Licensing Offices from April 1 to September 30 for replacement of old Tickets with the new ones.

End/Thursday, February 28, 2002