I READ with growing dismay your report last night (November 15) 'Disabled drivers' fury...', about the changes to parking facilities for disabled drivers at the Ashburner Street Market.

It seems to me to be particularly mean and uncaring to change the arrangements without informing drivers of the new policy, and I was glad to read that Bolton Council had decided to waive the fine and place warning notices in lieu of fines for the next few days.

I wonder whether the assiduous stickers of parking fines studied the cars which were parked in the designated bays. It has been my experience that these bays are often occupied by drivers who do not display an orange badge, but are too idle and selfish to walk from a more distant parking space. I hope that the council will monitor these spaces, and put very large fixed penalty notices on the offending vehicles. This would be some small balance of justice for the disabled drivers, who have a difficult time finding places to park, then manoeuvring themselves and their wheelchairs in and out of their vehicles, to say nothing of actually getting around the town to pursue their business.

I am not a disabled person, but I have great sympathy for those whose lives are being further disadvantaged by a council, which, I suspect, has little empathy with disabled people, who try to maintain their independence and retain their dignity. I might add that the fact that people take responsibility for themselves must save Bolton Council an enormous sum in care costs. So, for heaven's sake, stop being unfair to disabled motorists.

Jennifer Rhodes

Naylor's Terrace,

Belmont,

Bolton.