Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Carrefour’s newly opened supermarket in La Cala de Mijas sparked heated debates among residents about its parking design, especially the allocation of spaces for disabled people.
Alan Boardman has raised an issue that was previously unresolved, but which no one else had brought up: the decision by Carrefour La Cala de Mijas, to allocate 15 blue badge spots in its parking lot.
Boardman said he was in favor of allowing disabled drivers to park near the entrance of the supermarket, but questioned whether there were really that many spaces. “I’m fully supportive of helping disabled drivers to park close to a supermarket main entrance… But the recent layout at Carrefour Mijas Costa has FIFTEEN blue spaces—surely overkill? He wrote: “I’ve never seen more than two vehicles park in those spaces.”
Misuse of disabled carpark spaces in Carrefour Mijas biggest complaint
The post was met with a wide range of responses by the Mijas Community, expressing both their appreciation for accessibility and frustration at its implementation. Simone Icough Fooks’ husband James, who has mobility issues and relies on the disabled parking, acknowledged that there are a lot of spaces, but emphasized the problem of non-badge holders abusing them. “I agree, that’s a bit of overkill. Maybe they just gave up with complaints and added even more,” she said. Icough Fooks spoke about her frustration with able-bodied motorists who abuse these spaces. She said that calling local police to enforce the regulations was time-consuming for those with pain or limited mobility. “To get the car towed, you as the disabled badge holder have to call them and then wait… There is zero chance James could stand around and wait for them to arrive just to park,” she explained.
Icough Fooks also addressed less visible disabilities. She said that a blue badge was sufficient to show that the person is disabled without causing public judgement. “You don’t get one of those easily here… So, if there is a blue badge displayed, it is not for anyone else to comment on what is ‘wrong’ with said person,” she said, citing her own experience with a spinal condition that is not visibly apparent.
She suggested a technical solution to prevent misuse such as barriers that are activated by the chip in the badge.
Disabled spaces – near impossible to get a blue badge
Many residents expressed concerns over the parking lot’s accessibility and usability. Christine Goodwin commented on the difficulty in getting a blue card in Spain. “So, it’s so hard to obtain a badge here.” They do all they can to discourage potential applicants.” She also criticised that the disabled parking spots are not shaded, saying they were “in full sunlight” without any cover. This could discourage users, particularly in Mijas, with its hot climate. Goodwin also raised a concern with Carrefour’s trolley policy. She pointed out that the small trolleys which replaced baskets cannot be taken outdoors, forcing older or mobility impaired customers to use larger trolleys that are not compatible with self-checkout. “You’ll see many olds [elderly people] She said, “I’m waiting in the line with some items in a large bag.”
Margaret Norden Williams wondered if ticket machines and entrance/exit barriers had any influence on the placement of disabled spaces. “I’ve visited a couple of times and have been amazed at the new area for disabled people, especially since there hasn’t even been a disabled car parked in that space,” she said.
According to Spanish regulations, as outlined by Royal Decree No. 1056/2014 (as of 2014), new carparks that have more than 40 parking spaces must guarantee at least one accessible space for every 40 spaces (2,5 percent of total). Carrefour has allocated fifteen parking spaces, which is more than required. This could be an attempt to comply with future, stricter standards or to address complaints about accessibility. Boardman and Williams have observed that the large number of blue parking spaces is not being used, which raises questions as to whether they are serving their purpose.
Local police have little to do about the misuse of spaces for disabled people
The local police is responsible for the enforcement of parking regulations. This includes fining those that misuse disabled spaces. Misuse of these spaces, such as parking without a valid European Parking Card for People with Reduced Mobility, can result in fines of up to €200, and vehicles may be towed. Icough Fooks noted that the enforcement process was slow and often required badge holders to wait for the police, which discouraged reporting.
The debate in Carrefour Mijas Costa shows the larger issue of how to balance accessibility and practical enforcement. The provision of numerous spaces for disabled people shows the supermarket is committed to inclusivity. However, there are still many areas where improvements can be made. Residents want better enforcement mechanisms, and to take into consideration design factors in order to make sure that the disabled parking spaces are truly serving those who most need them.
Comment below and tell us what you think.
