Illegal use of disabled parking spots on rise, officials say

The Calgary Parking Authority says it's seeing a steady increase in the number of drivers who illegally take spots designated for people with disabilities.

Officials say3,284 tickets have been handed out since January.

"Although we typically see an increase in the number of these infractions during cold weather, the increasing trend over the past few years is a growing concern," said Miles Dyck, CPAs manager of parking enforcement.

In 2010, the authority issued 6,010 tickets, and the number of infractions had gone up to 7,130 last year.

"We want to ensure that accessible parking spaces are left for people with disabilities because they rely on them to access our city," Dyck said.

Motorists who park in designated disabled parking spaces or accessible loading zones without a valid permit can be fined $200 if paid within 10 days, $250 if paid within 30 days and $300 after 30 days.