Sharjah blitz on disabled parking cheats

Sharjah Police and municipality inspectors issued a total of 2,227 fines throughout the emirate from 2012 to 2013.

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SHARJAH // Police and municipality officers have handed out more than 2,200 fines to motorists illegally parked in spaces set aside for the disabled or for emergency vehicles in the past two years.

The penalty for parking in one of these spaces can be a fine of up to Dh1,000 and four black points on the offender’s licence.

In 2012 and last year, 2,227 fines were handed out in Sharjah.

Col Ahmed bin Darwish, acting director of traffic and patrols at Sharjah Police, said the problem was widespread and infringed on the rights of the disabled.

“Parking in a place allocated for the handicapped people is illegal and uncivilised,” said Col bin Darwish. “The reason we allocate these people special parking slots is to make life easier for them.”

Col bin Darwish said most breaches were in the evening, when motorists thought there was less chance of being caught by police and inspectors.

“Such people would hurry in the morning to remove their cars only to find they have been fined, and then they complain,” said Col bin Darwish.

“Others wrongly believed the spaces marked for ambulances or police cars as well as disabled drivers were only valid for certain times.”

He called for members of the public to report any vehicle wrongly parked in these spaces.

“Handicapped parking is located to accessible building entrances and easily identified with appropriate signs,” said Col bin Darwish.

“Only people with an authorised handicapped driver permit as well as a special number plate that goes with the permit can use these slots.”

ykakande@thenational.ae