URGENT safety improvements are being made to a “dangerously steep” ramp used by disabled motorists using ticket machines at a Haslemere car park after a mobility scooter user nearly toppled over.

Following Hugh Dawes’ “very frightening experience”, South West Surrey Disabled Alliance Network (SWSDAN) has called for the ramps installed in all the Waverley Borough Council car parks to be “urgently” referred to the Health and Safety Executive.

WBC introduced charges for Blue Badge holders in its car parks from October 23, in the face of 700 objections. As there are no direct Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) guidelines for parking machines, Waverley used general guidelines to design the ramps.

“My husband, Hugh Dawes, had a very frightening experience,” Jill Sandham said. “When he went up the ramp from the Waitrose side, his mobility scooter tipped backwards because the incline of the ramp was far too great.

“Fortunately I and another member of the public rushed to catch the scooter.

“Had we not been there, it would have tipped backwards and he would have fallen on his head with the scooter on top of him.

“If approached from the far side of the car park, the other ramp is a more gentle incline, probably within legal requirements.

“However, to approach the meter from this direction, there is not room between the parking bay and the adjacent meter pavement to get a scooter or wheelchair through, so the user must travel from the disabled bays with all the car park traffic, right round the two rows of parked cars in the middle of the car park, making this hazardous.

“Once at the top of the ramp the meters are only accessible sideways on for a wheelchair or scooter user, assuming they can twist their body round sufficiently. The width is dangerously narrow and risks the scooter or chair falling off the side.

“There is only one way down, and the ramp down is dangerously steep, demonstrated by the fact that Hugh’s scooter had tipped on the upward incline.

“We consider these ramps are not just unfit for purpose, but also pose a major risk for anyone using them.”

A Waverley spokesman said this week: “We are sorry Mr Dawes had difficulties when using the ramp.

“We are taking his complaint very seriously and met him and his wife on site on Monday. An error was made during the construction of the ramp and we have instructed our contractors to rectify the problem.

“Until the work is completed Blue Badge holders will not be penalised for not displaying a valid parking ticket but may receive a friendly warning notice.”

WBC agreed to remove the three-hours free parking provision for disabled drivers in April, but postponed enforcement of the fees, pending a review, after a public outcry there had been no prior consultation.

Campaigners for the disabled expressed concern about the accessibility of ticket machines in the borough, and WBC subsequently agreed a number of concessions before agreeing to the new charges in September.

The concessions were that a free WBC parking permit will be available for people on a greater number of benefits; all Blue Badge holders will get a free second hour of parking; new drop curbs or ramps will be installed up to ticket machines nearest to disabled bays; more signage for the pay-by-phone service will be displayed closer to disabled bays.

Safety handrails due to be installed before October 23, had not yet been erected in Haslemere when charging commenced.

SWSDAN chairman David Beaman said: “The installation of these ramps has caused us considerable concern and indeed was one of our main issues in our campaign against the introduction of parking charges.

“Although the ramps may well conform to current legislative requirements, we remain very concerned that in the event of brakes not firmly applied wheelchairs could roll back into the path of traffic using the car park or, on reaching out to press the buttons on the payment machine, users could easily lose their balance causing them fall out of their wheelchair.”