Brinek: Expensive charges for hospital parking
Persons using the car park of a hospital in Amstetten, Lower Austria, either have to pay full fares in case of an unforeseeable long hospital stay or alternatively have to use a free parking facility 800 meters away. For Ombudsperson Gertrude Brinek this is no viable solution.
Mrs. N.N. had to undergo treatment in the hospital and therefore used the official car park owned by the municipality. When she returned to her car after seven days she was asked the full parking fee of 169 Euro. The competent municipality did not grant a discount arguing that being a local Mrs. N.N. could have used the free car park further away from the hospital building.
"This is no acceptable solution", criticized Ombudsperson Dr. Gertrude Brinek. She also did not share the municipality’s point of view that patients are usually picked up by relatives or friends. In fact, Mrs. N.N. was on her own and would have been in pain while walking to the other parking. "Clearly, patients can not always predict how long they will have to stay in hospital. In such cases they should be granted a discount”, said Brinek.
Following the investigation procedure of the Austrian Ombudsman Board the municipality acknowledged that non-locals in fact cannot know about this free parking facility. The administration offered to cooperate with the company running the parking facility to find a cheaper solution for patients. As a compensation the Mayor of Amstetten personally refunded parts of the parking fees
Ombudsperson Brinek was pleased about the outcome of this case and is looking forward to a citizen-friendly solution.
