Story is from 2009 but maybe things have changed since then?
Taxi parked in disabled bay when picking up a wheelchair passenger
A MITCHELSTOWN taxi-driver has been prosecuted for parking his car in a disabled bay after he was called to pick up a passenger in a wheelchair. John Carey, with an address at Baldwin Street, Mitchelstown, was fined €300 by Judge Michael Pattwell following his conviction at a sitting of Mitchelstown District Court. Garda Peter McLoughlin told the court that he observed Carey's car parked in the disabled bay on Lower Cork Street on January 19 last. Carey's solicitor, Karen Kearney, asked Garda McLoughlin if he was aware at the time that her client was a taxi driver. "He was called to pick up a disabled person at a nearby bank and parked the car in the disabled bay in order to assist the person back to his car," said Ms Kearney.
In evidence, Carey pointed out that his vehicle was wheelchair accessible and that he was only parked in the disabled bay for a short length of time. "I had no other alternative but to park there," he told the court. Asked by judge Pattwell if he had a permit to legally park in a disabled space, Carey answered 'no'. "Therefore you have no right to park in that space. There is no exception to this law for a taxi," said the judge.
When I rang the authority who give them disabled passes, asking about getting one, they told me I had to use the disabled pass of the client, now some of the people I drive are in nursing homes with dementia, id say it wouldn't be easy trying to find their disabled pass, if they even have one. WAT drivers should have a pass given to them when they get their licence.
That is crazy that the taxi driver got penalized in that situation, I fully expected him to be driving a saloon or something. Guards where I live dont give a $hit if people parked in a disabled spot all day. in a way I would like to work an area where parking laws are enforced.
if I ever give up driving a taxi I would love a job as a traffic warden, I would do that job for free to be honest. I would love giving tickets to people who park in disabled spaces and taxi ranks.