SIXTEEN new disabled parking spaces are to be created in St Helier, the Infrastructure Minister has confirmed.
Constable Andy Jehan has written to former States Member Jackie Hilton, a member of the Disability Parking Group, to confirm that Blue Badge holders will soon receive details of the new spaces, although the Infrastructure Department said that it was not yet in a position to confirm their location.
The move follows a public meeting in June when campaigners lobbied the government to restore spaces lost in Broad Street when the road was closed to through traffic, a proposal the group said was rejected by the minister. A meeting took place last month between Infrastructure Minister and St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft about creating new spaces.
In an email sent to Ms Hilton this week, Mr Jehan said: “We will soon be writing to all Blue Badge holders confirming the locations of 16 new disabled parking spaces in St Helier. I hope that further additional spaces will follow in the near future.
“We will also be trialling some new road markings to make disabled bays more identifiable and are conducting a survey of all Blue Badge holders to seek views on the scheme and help us formulate improvements.”
Broad Street was closed to through traffic in 2020, a measure introduced to support social distancing during the Covid pandemic, prompting criticism of the loss of centrally located parking spaces for the disabled.
The minister added that his department was also intending to establish a focus group to help gather views from all Blue Badge holders to build on progress.
