Johannesburg - The driver of a police vehicle that parked in a disabled parking spot, while involved in a “leadership” project at the Durban beachfront, has drawn criticism.
Pictures of the vehicle, a VW Caddy, in the parking lot behind Durban Surf Lifesaving Club, began circulating on social media on Saturday .
In front of the vehicle, in the picture, a blue sign with the letter “R” and a picture of a wheelchair is clearly visible. This indicates the parking bay is reserved for the disabled.
According to a social media post, the driver - a man - two women and four children had been in the vehicle.
The children were observed running back and forth to fetch stuff from the vehicle.
One social media poster, whose name was withheld, said he was concerned that at a time the city had an influx of visitors, criminals would surely be alerted that police had one less vehicle on the road, fighting crime.
Police spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane, said the vehicle was assigned to Hammarsdale police station.
“The driver had a project, ‘Be a leader’, with school pupils from Hammarsdale. They were at the beach with a group of learners to teach them about safety at beaches. The lifeguards were part of the project.
“The driver was on an official trip to Durban. An investigation will be conducted as to why he parked in the reserved parking bay,” Zwane said.
Quad Para KZN spokesman, Frank Kruger, said police should lead by example.
“If it was an emergency, we can understand. It has become common for official police vehicles to use this bay without any regard.
“Certain policemen and women think they are above the law and are too lazy to look for parking,” Kruger said.
A Hammarsdale police vehicle was on official duty when it was parked in a bay reserved for the disabled at Durban’s North Beach, on Saturday.
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