Calgary cracks down on illegal parking in disabled spots

Calgary's parking bylaw enforcement officers are cracking down on motorists who illegally use spots reserved for the disabled.

The crackdown, which beganThursday, will involve officers handing out fines and reminding drivers it's illegal to parkin the spots.

So far this year, the Calgary Parking Authority has already handed out more than 2,600 tickets to violators. Motorists who park in the disabled spots and don't have disabled tag on their vehicles can be fined $150.

The crackdown comes as welcome news for some disabled Calgarians.

Debbie Miller, a 38-year-old with cerebral palsy, uses a cane to get around.

She says it's not fair that so many drivers without disabilities pull into disabled spots when most parking lots already have so few designated spaces.

"My mom has to drop me off at the doors constantly when we can't find a parking spot," she said. "I can't walk long distances. It's really taxing. "

One man who parked in a disabled parking spot this week defended his actions in an interview with CBC News.

"It will just take two minutes. I just want a coffee. I thought that if you park for five minutes that's fine. I read it in the book actually, in the driver's book," said the man, who didn't give his name.