Lanzarote families denounce the "discrimination" between municipalities in the payment of PMR parking

Lucía Ballesteros, president of the Association Mujeres Sin Sombra, spoke this past Tuesday on the program Buenos días, Lanzarote of Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero where she denounced the high cost of PMR (Person with Reduced Mobility) parking spaces in Arrecife, which contrasts with the lower prices in other municipalities.

This type of parking is intended for families in which a member has a physical condition or disability, and so that this affected person has the right to exclusive parking next to their home.

Ballesteros highlighted that from the association "we feel it is discrimination between municipalities," since the payment of fees is not unified. "It is very complicated to be able to maintain an acquired right that people with disabilities have," she stated.

In this regard, she pointed out that the municipality with the highest cost for parking spaces regarding the reservation of PMR spaces is Arrecife. In the case of the capital, the painting of the parking space amounts to 150 euros. If the user prefers to privatize this space with their own license plate so that it is not generic, 120 euros are added to the price. This translates to approximately 270 euros per year.

In other municipalities such as Tías, Tinajo, Haría, or Teguise, only privatization is paid for, that is, the plaque with the car's license plate. In these cases, the price does not exceed 50 euros. Therefore, what they request from the town councils is that the fee be unified and "there be no discrimination between municipalities."

Lucía Ballesteros emphasized the importance of PMR parking spaces in front of homes. "If they took it away from me, it would be horrible because I would have to pick up my 70-kilo daughter to cross the street," she pointed out.

For this reason, they ask the Arrecife City Council to reduce the price of the fees and they also request that the Cabildo de Lanzarote unify this payment "so that we do not have to have that discrimination between each of the families because we live in different municipalities on the island."

"Until we raise our voice, they don't pay attention to us because it has always happened to us. I have been in the media for years demanding, but I am tired of fighting against bureaucracy and saying what my daughter needs," she assured.

Before the microphones, from the association they also denounced the lack of citizen awareness regarding parking spaces for people with reduced mobility. "They park in my driveway a thousand times always, they don't care," she said. "They have even told me: 'madam, you are very nervous.' They have answered me badly and they even create problems for you," she concluded.