Attending weekly sessions at Studio 2 art studio for people with disabilities, located at busy Cargill’s Corner, Ms Russell and her mobility taxi drivers regularly encounter difficulties in finding convenient spaces to park and unload.
"I need to use a mobility van to get to Studio 2, and there are often problems with being able to stop somewhere nearby, to unload my wheelchair," she said.
"Sometimes we have to go round the block several times to find a park, and it can be difficult to find space for the van to let down its hoist."
The mobility park further along King Edward St, near the ANZ Bank, was an option at times, although Ms Russell found it frustrating to have to drive her motorised wheelchair along the street to Studio 2.
She also expressed concerns about the length of time available for pedestrians to cross over at the Cargill’s Castle intersection, and some of the variable kerb heights made it awkward to manage in a wheelchair.
Ms Russell said she had been raising mobility issues with Dunedin City Council for the past couple of years, and felt that more attention needed to be paid to South Dunedin.
"For myself, I would like to see some of the money that has been spent in town to be spent out in South Dunedin.
"Given the population of South Dunedin, I think accessibility is really important."
Studio 2 art facilitator Georgina Young said there were about 10 regulars who used wheelchairs and needed mobility vans for transport to the centre, which was open five mornings a week.
"It is a problem for many of our people. It would be better if vans could pull up outside to drop off and pick up people," she said.
As the same Hillside Rd/ Cargill’s Corner block also hosted Friend Link and Cargill Enterprises, there were many people with disabilities who accessed the area and needed a place to stop.
Mobility Vehicles Dunedin owner/driver Matt Burns said the situation in South Dunedin was "hopeless" in terms of mobility parking.
"Sometimes we can stop outside Godfreys Bakery [in Hillside Rd], or we may have to double park in Glasgow St — it makes it difficult to unload people in wheelchairs safely," he said.
Mr Burns and his drivers transported people to and from Studio 2 four or five days a week, making six trips on some days to drop people off and pick them up.
"We are there all the time, and it is one of the hardest places to stop."
Mr Burns said his firm did the majority of transport work for wheelchair users in Dunedin and so encountered problems across the city.
"We often drop people outside the side entrance of Wall St mall in town, and that’s not good either in terms of safety.
"It is especially difficult with mobility vans, which are six metres long and need another three metres of space behind them to unload a wheelchair using a hoist.
"We will do what we need to in order to get clients where they need to go, otherwise they are stuck at home."
He expressed frustration at the apparent lack of concern about the situation
from council.
"It can feel like we are banging our heads against a brick wall, which is disappointing."
Contacted by The Star, disability advocate John Marrable said he understood the frustration, but that it was important to think about safety.
"Cargill’s Corner is a really busy intersection, so people need to be dropped off in a safe spot," he said.
There were other parks around the area, the mobility space near the ANZ, and taxi vans could use P5 spaces and loading areas, although these might not have drop kerbs.
He believed the council was aware that there were not enough mobility parks, and that they were trying to put them in places where they were needed, and were looking into wheelchair accessible van parks.
"The council has an obligation to put mobility parks where they are safe as well, they are working hard to do that," he said.
He said it was important to remember that, by rights, mobility parks were not for taxi vans, but were for people with disabilities themselves to use.
The Dunedin City Council was unable to provide a response by deadline yesterday.
