Spotted: Sedan blocking PWD ramp draws flak

January 22, 2025 - 8:01 AM
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PWD parking sign
Reserved parking sign for PWD (Image by Wepik on Freepik)

An automotive publication has raised awareness about the misuse of parking spaces after a sedan was spotted blocking part of a PWD ramp.

VISOR on Tuesday, January 21 posted a photo of a red sedan blocking half of a ramp meant for individuals in wheelchairs.

In the photo, a PWD is seen being assisted beside the parked car.

“PLEASE. DON’T. BLOCK. THE. PWD. RAMP,” the publication said on its Facebook page.

The striped area where the car was parked is not a designated parking space. Such spaces are critical for PWDs who use wheelchairs or crutches, as they provide enough room for folding wheelchairs or guiding individuals into and out of vehicles.

Proposed policies

The publication also linked to a 2017 report about former senator Leila de Lima proposing hefty fines for those who misuse and obstruct parking spaces meant for PWDs.

Senate Bill 1622 proposes a minimum fine of P10,000 for the following:

  • Anyone parking in a space reserved for handicapped persons without handicapped parking placard
  • A handicapped person who allows a non-handicapped person to use his parking placard
  • Any person obstructing the access points of handicapped persons to the designated handicapped parking spaces

The bill is still pending in the committee.

Last November, a Facebook page posting about improper parking habits also uploaded a photo of a sedan blocking a marked space meant for people with wheelchairs.

A PWD from Atlanta, Georgia explained that the striped lines next to PWD parking spaces are meant to give room for wheelchair ramps towards the vehicle or for wheelchairs themselves to enter and exit the vehicle.

“The lines are part of the handicapped parking spot,” Glenn, also known as “Wheelchair Daddy,” said in a blog post before.

RELATED: Vehicle draws flak for parking in slot meant for PWD accessibility