Playa Parq Fails to Provide Parking for People With Disabilities, Advocacy Group Says

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A local advocacy group has accused the parking concession company Playa Parq of violating federal inclusion laws by failing to provide designated parking spaces for people with disabilities.

The civil association Libertad y Accesibilidad, based in Playa del Carmen, made the complaint on Tuesday, stating that the company continues to ignore the needs of disabled individuals despite previous agreements.

In a phone interview, Rafael Barragán, president of the association, said Playa Parq’s “deaf ear” attitude violates federal norms and laws on inclusion. He recalled that years ago, the group reached an arrangement with the company allowing drivers with disabilities to park in any space or avoid fines by displaying a sticker identifying them as such.

However, Barragán emphasized that this measure has proven ineffective, especially during events in the city center when parking spots fill up quickly. “We’re left without space,” he said.

In response, the association is working on a draft law to mandate a specific number of disability parking spaces in the city center. Barragán noted that the company should provide at least one designated spot for every 20 regular spaces, a standard followed in other Mexican states.

He added that authorities have so far not heeded their calls to compel Playa Parq to create these spaces. “But we continue fighting,” Barragán said. “The association will keep raising its voice, representing all those with disabilities in the municipality, which, according to INEGI (the national statistics agency), is 10 percent of the population.”