Calls for parent-child spaces in States car parks
BBCThe States says any decision over creating parent-child spaces in public car parks would be "evidence-led".
There have been calls for widening parking spaces for parents to use - the only designated spaces currently are in private car parks like supermarkets.
The Committee for Environment and Infrastructure (E&I) said it would consider any proposed changes alongside "accessibility, safety, cost, enforceability and site constraints".
Victoria Roberts created a petition for safer family parking after her own experiences and "having problems trying to park myself and get the baby out of the car".
She started the petition after seeing other "concerning" experiences where parents "weren't coming into town or going to baby classes" to avoid parking difficulties.
"The standard parking spaces are too small for people that need to use them anyway," Roberts said.
She believed parents face additional parking challenges due to "the extra equipment that you have to get out of the car" and the space needed to "get the baby out, get the car seat out and get the pram out".
Roberts is calling on the States to immediately put designated parent-child spaces into the four town car parks, with clear signage outlining the conditions.
"However, they would need to get wider legislation if they wanted to put parking spaces elsewhere. They've then gone on to say that they would actually like to wait to make these changes as part of a wider strategic change," she said.
Roberts believed it "would make more sense" to roll out a pilot now to "inform strategic direction going forward".
Deputy Le Brun said Guernsey's parking spaces currently "make people's lives more difficult" and should be widened to "accommodate modern vehicle standards".
He said he felt the States prioritised "the volume of vehicles" rather than giving islanders the "best possible user experience".
Le Brun said: "The island does need to adapt... it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or even killed because of not keeping up with modern changes."
He called for parents, the elderly and those with mobility issues and disabilities to be prioritised.
In response to Le Brun's question, E&I said it "appreciates the importance of accessible and usable parking" but it also "recognises that parking provision must be considered in the specific context of Guernsey's limited land area".
Catherine Godeon believes the States should introduce parent-child parking as the current situation is "pretty dire".
She said: "The parking spaces are just too small, trying to get the child in and out on a windy day, the door is going, you can't get the child in without navigating arms, limbs, head.
"It's just not fit for purpose."
Connor Godeon said: "We'll often just go to Waitrose because they're the only ones with the actual family parking spaces."
He believed the island "needs parent-child spaces" and special parking permits for parents for "at least the first two to three months of having a newborn".
Alexa Oliver-Pickford said parking as a parent was "quite difficult because if you've got four kids and a big car, which you need, it's not easy to get kids out of car seats".
She said: "There's a definite need to have bigger parking spaces and child-parent specific spaces would be really helpful, especially with buggies."
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