A 74-year-old man with a physical disability told of his anger at delivery drivers using a disabled parking bay in Reading illegally.
Since John Lyttle was hit by a bus while working on a public highway, he hasn’t been able to walk further than short distances.
The disabled parking bay in Friar Street is the only way he can shop in Sainsbury’s, so when he saw 'Deliveroo' bikes using it to collect food on Saturday, October 9, he was dismayed.
“To be straight with you I was gutted. At the end of the day, we pay for the badge,” said John, whose skull was fractured and his leg broken in two places by the bus collision.
He added: “But every Tom, Dick and Harry parks in the bay.”
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John had parked with his son, Stephen, who also carries a Blue Badge which entitles holders to use disabled parking areas.
John was irritated by a car parked behind him with no visible badge but walked across the road to Sainsbury’s.
When he returned, he saw what he described as a “rat race” of motorcycles and mopeds driving in and out of the disabled bay to collect food from German Donor Kebab.
“They are using it like a car park to put it bluntly. Deliveroo go in there with their motorbikes; park up; you can’t get in, you can’t get out.”
A Deliveroo spokesperson said: "Deliveroo takes rider conduct extremely seriously and has strict policies in place for when riders are working with Deliveroo.
“We are investigating the incident and working with German Doner Kebab to identify the riders involved.
“In the meantime we have issued clear communications to all our riders around the Friar Street area reiterating policies around parking and disabled access.”
Read more: Bus crash in Friar Street leaves pedestrian in hospital
It is illegal to park in a disabled bay without a Blue Badge and the offence carries a penalty of £70.
A spokesperson for German Doner Kebab: “German Doner Kebab is a growing fast-casual chain that is committed to bringing enhanced accessibility for all customers in a friendly and inclusive dining environment.
“As a responsible local business, we take these claims extremely seriously and will investigate fully with our delivery partner.”
In order to impose a fine, a civil enforcement officer must witness the offence taking place.
Tony Page, Reading Borough councillor for transport said: “It is completely unacceptable to use these bays for the purposes of loading or unloading.
“It is vital the rights of people living with disabilities to park in allocated bays be respected and protected.
“For genuine badge holders who lose out on a parking space, it can have an enormous impact on their daily lives.”
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