PHOTO: Service de police de la Ville de Montréal
At the start of the month, police officers from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) and parking officers from the Agence de mobilité durable went to many of Montreal's large surface parking lots. To ensure that spaces for people with reduced mobility were respected, 59 parking tickets worth $317 were issued to motorists caught in this operation. It was organized in partnership with the organization Moelle épinière et motricité Québec (MÉMO-Qc).
The SPVM and the organization MÉMO-Qc have jointly organized verification operations in Montreal parking lots since 2018. MÉMO-Qc citizen patrols, made up of people with reduced mobility, also visited five parking lots identified as problematic. Without the ability to park in a designated space, people with disabilities may find themselves unable to receive a service or even exit their adapted vehicle. Being the same height as cars, people in wheelchairs are also at significant risk of collision when driving down parking aisles.
The spaces reserved for people with disabilities are intended to facilitate their travel by giving them better access to businesses, institutions or health facilities. The SPVM warns motorists that occupying a space designated for people with reduced mobility, even for a short time, can have a major impact on them.
Without a valid sticker issued by the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec, a motorist who parks in a space reserved for people with disabilities may be issued a statement of offence. An additional fine may also be added if the driver of the offending vehicle uses a falsified sticker or one issued to another person.
SOURCE: Service de police de la Ville de Montréal
