Rubbish truck takes mobility park

CCS Disability Action chief executive David Matthews said people weren't getting the message about mobility parks. Photo / File

A man with severely injured legs watched while an Auckland Council rubbish truck took the mobility park he was indicating for at a supermarket and its occupants went inside to buy pies.

The 41-year-old business owner badly broke his legs when he slipped on ice in August, and has only been able to walk and drive again since December.

Last Tuesday the man, who did not wish to be named, went to Countdown on Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn and drove into the store's carpark behind the Auckland Council marked rubbish truck.

He said was clearly displaying his mobility pass on his dashboard and also indicating for the mobility park, but the rubbish truck pulled into it first.

"Two guys got out with fluro vests and I wasn't impressed. I couldn't park in the ones next to it because I would have gone too wide into the next one."

A queue of traffic had formed behind him, and he said he was unable to reverse safely into the last mobility space, and instead of driving around the carpark again he took the first available regular park.

"I had to park in the normal area which I wouldn't normally mind that much but it was raining and with my legs I try to park out the front."

He said he got out of his car to take a photo of the truck and the men turned and saw him.

"They both stopped, turned and looked at me and stared while I took a photo of their truck and then turned and walk in [to the store]."

He then saw the men return to the truck carrying pies.

The man sent his photo to Auckland Council as part of a complaint, but was yet to hear from the agency.

An Auckland Council spokesman told the Herald it was investigating the incident. He also said there were other mobility parks available the injured man could have used.

The man contacted the Herald after it ran a story highlighting West Auckland property developer Gerard Peters' use of mobility spaces without a permit that resulted in his $400,000 Lamborghini being towed from LynnMall last week.

CCS Disability Action chief executive David Matthews said people weren't getting the message about mobility parks.

"It's a sad reflection on people's attitudes towards those people that need these spaces so they can access the community and it's disappointing to see that this problem is not improving."

More than 100,000 mobility parking permits are held by New Zealanders.