Montreal police hand out 185 tickets in two days to drivers illegally using disabled parking spaces

Police are reminding people not to use disabled parking spaces (photo: Scott Prouse / CTV Montreal)

MONTREAL -

Montreal police are reminding drivers to respect parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities.

Police say they patrolled more than 500 parking lots on June 2 and 3, and handed out 185 tickets for people parking illegally in reduced mobility spaces.

A ticket for $315 plus fees was issued to each of the offending drivers, police said.

“The purpose of reserved parking spaces is to facilitate travel for people with disabilities or reduced mobility by giving them easier access to service centres, businesses or institutions,” Montreal police said in a news release.

Allowing people with disabilities closer access to a store or building is not only more convenient,it  allows more space for a person with a disability to exit a vehicle. It is also a safety measure, beacuse a person with a disability travelling through a parking lot can face significant danger if they are not clearly visible to drivers.

People with disabilities are granted stickers or signs for their vehicles, allowing them to use those reserved spaces.

If a driver is parked in the reserved space and is not displaying a valid sticker on their vehicle, they may be subject to a hefty fine. An additional offence and fine is handed out for anyone using a sticker not intended for them or one that is falsified, police said.

Police said they also ensured private parking lot managers aware of the importance of providing disabled parking spaces with adequate signage.