Life just got easier for pregnant motorists

21 January 2005

AMSTERDAM — Call it equal opportunity, chauvinism or the acceptance of reality, life is just about to get a little easier for pregnant women with the opening of car parks reserved for expectant mothers in Enschede.

The eastern Dutch city is the nation’s first to reserve parking spaces for pregnant women. Four spaces are going to be reserved at the underground Van Heek Garage.

The places are located close to the lift so that expectant mothers do not have far to walk. Special signs guide the women to their car parks, news service NOS reported.

The signs do not indicate how pregnant a woman needs to be use the spots, but it is also expected that women will show a deal of solidarity to those most in need.

“We can’t give guidelines as to when a woman may be allowed to use the parking spots. Pregnancy is private,” a council spokesman said.

The initiative was put forward by the garage itself, as it says it is keen to offer motorists greater service. The new parking spaces will be open for use from Saturday.

And it is possible that other cities will follow suit after Enschede. In a few years time, “pregnancy car parks” might be just as common as ones for people with disabilities.

Subject: Dutch news