Disabled car permits are misused
THERE are people in Sligo using Disabled Parking Permits who don’t appear to be disabled.
The misuse of the permits has been flagged to the Authorities at two meetings in the past week - the County Sligo Joint Policing Committee and the Council’s Disability Committee.
Council Director of Services Bartley Gavin told members of the Joint Policing Committee meeting last Friday that “there are people using badges who don’t appear to be disabled.”
Chief Superintendent Michael Clancy he was aware of able- bodied people misusing the permits and said the public were also “very alert to this.”
“It really gets people’s backs up. They do report it. We would be interested in investigating them if people were abusing it. It would be a very selfish abuse,” he said.
The meeting heard anecdotal evidence from member Pat Benson, from the Carraroe and District Regeneration Association.
“I saw people jumping out of a car parked in a Disabled Parking spot. When I approached them they pulled out the badge but it has no photo on the front, only on the back. There was no way to identify who was the badge holder,” he said.
By law the Disabled Parking Permit is for the sole use of the driver/ passenger it has been issued to and is only to be used if the holder is in the car.
The misuse of such a Permit is punishable by a fine of up to € 2000 or three months imprisonment.
Deputy Tony McLoughlin said it was “despicable” for people to misuse the permits and “very frustrating for people with disabilities.”
“It makes my blood boil when I see people abusing it. It’s reprehensible,” said Cllr Chris MacManus who had asked how many € 80 parking tickets or cautions had been issued by either the Council or the Garda regarding illegal use of disabled parking bays throughout the county.
He was told that 88 notices were issued in the past year on drivers who parked in disabled parking spaces in Sligo.