By means of this letter, I address you in your capacity as Mayor of Arrecife to express my deep concern, discontent, and indignation at the current management of accessibility in relation to PMRs.
I wish to state, first of all, the absolute lack of sensitivity shown by you in systematically ignoring my requests and WhatsApp messages.
That a mother has to resort to direct channels to beg for solutions and receives not the slightest interest or response is a sign of intolerable institutional neglect. This lack of empathy towards me, towards people with reduced mobility, and towards the problem of the fee and the discrimination that PMR users suffer, evidences a worrying indifference towards the rights of the most vulnerable people.
I am writing this letter not only as a citizen, but as the mother of Sheyla Benito, a young woman who has a recognized 100% disability and a Grade III level of Great Dependency. The daily reality we face to move around Arrecife is unsustainable and systematically violates my daughter's right to a dignified life and accessibility in accordance with her right to a private parking space at her home.
Despite the current regulations on equal opportunities and universal accessibility, the work by the Councilor for Mobility of the Arrecife City Council falls far short of being adequate and in line with the work of a good government towards the most vulnerable people.
Likewise, the situation of parking spaces for PMRs is alarming. The existing ordinances regarding discriminatory fees for private PMRs that violate the acquired rights of people with reduced mobility under our legal norms by paying €270 for the privatization of registration and reservation of these spaces, which is not a luxury but a necessity, being these illegal and there existing a motion from the Cabildo of Lanzarote in which it urges the island's city councils to change these fees to cost 0.
A city that aspires to be modern and forward-looking cannot leave its citizens behind. The lack of effective and planned solutions on your part, coupled with the silence and contempt towards my messages, reflects poor management that perpetuates the discrimination of this group.
For all these reasons, I urge you to take the appropriate measures as a priority, demanding an immediate response to my communications and messages, the review of the problem of the fees that penalize us, the increase and correct signage of Sheyla's PMR space, and so that you can exercise your right to accessibility. My daughter Sheyla and all people in her situation cannot continue waiting.
I thank you in advance for your attention to this letter, trusting that your governing group will show the necessary sensitivity and political will to reverse this situation as soon as possible.
Sincerely, Lucia Ballesteros Moreno.
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