More people have been misusing accessible parking spaces, according to the City of London.
During an enforcement blitz in London's private and public parking lots between November 19 and 25, the city said 289 tickets were issued for accessible parking violations and 40 permits were seized. City officials said that is an increase in tickets and seizures compared to the last enforcement blitz in July 2018.
The violations included altered permits, permit photocopies, not having permits displayed, covered expiry dates, and permits being used by someone other than the permit holder. In some cases, the permit holder was deceased when the vehicle was parked in a space.
When an accessible parking space is misused, it prevents the space from being available to those who need access, the city said.
“These spaces are required for those who need them; they are not a luxury or a convenience,” said Annette Drost, manager of Municipal Law Enforcement Services & Parking Services. “They give people a quality of life to allow them to visit or shop in our community.”
Accessible parking permits are issued by the province and are designed for individuals with accessibility issues so they can park closer to the entrance of a building and have more space between vehicles.