The FIA Guide for the Disabled Traveller – A Work in Progress

Publication date: 31 May 2010

Bert Morris, the former head of motoring policy at the AA in the United Kingdom, with the help of a FIA Foundation grant, is busy developing a new guide targeting mobility abroad for disabled travellers, holders of national disability parking card permits.  The Guide will show travellers where and when a disability Parking Card holder may use his or her card around the world. FIA clubs around the world are giving their support to this initiative by providing information about the levels of recognition accorded to holders of foreign disabled parking permits visiting their countries.  The survey plus feedback, is being co-ordinated by the FIA European Bureau (a partner in the project). Morris together with Laurianne Krid, a Researcher at the Bureau, has successfully surveyed FIA clubs across the four regions.

The information being gathered focuses on two key areas:

1.    To show where and when the Parking Card can be used, for example in all countries a Parking Card holder has the right to park in a parking space marked with the wheelchair symbol, but in many countries the Card holder may be exempt from parking meter charges, and in others s/he may be allowed to park on a road where parking is prohibited to everyone else

2.    To identify those countries that will recognise the Parking Card of a foreign visitor, those that will not, and those that will issue a disabled visitor with their own national parking card for a temporary period

Expanding on a good idea

The idea for the project came from some pioneering work the AA and FIA Brussels Bureau did in 2000, and again in 2005, that gave disabled citizens in the European Union information on using their Parking cards across Europe. So successful was the AA / FIA partnership that the European Commission published our information in their EU booklet.

Taking FIA experience of reciprocity to a new level

Reciprocity is the key idea at the base of this project: the agreements national governments have signed up to that allow a foreign disability Parking Card holder to use his or her Card in another country.  However, we are finding that some countries will not recognise the Parking Card of a visitor, and even where they do, evidence is surfacing that even government officials are not at all confident that the police with the pen and parking tickets actually understand reciprocity! They may still issue foreign visitors with parking fines oblivious the rights accorded in their own legislation!  

The FIA Guide for the disabled traveller the new FIA publication that Morris is currently developing seeks to provide the information to tackle such problems on the ground; It will show where and when disabled people can use their Parking Card across the world, in particular in Europe, USA and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, and some more! Strenuous efforts are being made to the information is correct, and we are looking at developing an FIA multi-lingual web page for use by disabled people that will explain their rights, and advise local police / enforcement officers about the international agreements that allow visiting disabled people to use their national Parking cards while abroad.

Why an FIA Guide?
Mobility for all is a key priority for all of the FIA. Demographic trends in many parts of the world are veering towards significantly increasing numbers of older people in society who will still want and need to remain mobile. Promoting and facilitating reciprocal use of disabled parking permits around the world fits with this priority.

According to Bert Morris, “With age, drivers increasingly have to cope with disabling frailty as do their families, sons and daughters who become their main providers of mobility. Having a Parking Card as a driver or passenger will be a significant contributor to helping keep them mobile.  Through this initial work, the FIA and the clubs can and must lay claim to ownership of the issue, and be seen to be the champion of our disabled members and their families.”

The FIA Guide for the disabled traveller should be completed later this year. It will be web based for easy access, and can be updated when new information is found so it will “not be wrong for long”. We will let clubs have information on how they can access the Guide as we approach completion of the project.