Traffic Police focus: Parking!

Every year, the number of cars increases, and the number of vacant parking spaces decreases, especially in the evenings and on pre-holiday days.

Every year, the number of cars increases, and the number of vacant parking spaces decreases, especially in the evenings and on pre-holiday days. Modern people are always in a hurry, and every saved minute counts. It is also much more convenient to park one's car directly in front of the entrance to a shopping centre rather than searching for a free space a block away. However, these spaces often legally belong to the "disabled" category.

Unfortunately, such cases are not uncommon near large shopping centres. Many motorists occupy these spaces consciously, ignoring traffic rules and moral principles.

Parking in spaces designated by road sign 5.15 "Parking space" with an additional information plate 7.17 "Disabled" (or prohibition road sign 3.27 "Stopping prohibited" combined with plate 7.18 "Except for disabled persons") is permitted for all disabled persons of groups I and II or persons transporting them. Disabled persons of group III or persons transporting them are entitled to park in such spaces and use the corresponding sticker only if the disabled person has musculoskeletal disorders.

Identification signs are installed at the driver's discretion; they are not mandatory. However, to legally park in a space designated for disabled persons, it is advisable to affix them.

But it should be borne in mind: the sticker itself does not grant the right to park in "disabled" spaces. It merely serves as an identification mark for the traffic police and other road users. Parking in the zone of sign 7.17 is permitted if a person with disabilities with appropriate medical indications and an invalid's certificate is present in the car. If, for example, a driver (not disabled) is transporting a disabled person, they can park there. But when a non-disabled person drives alone or transports passengers without restrictions, they are no longer allowed to park there, and no sticker can resolve this.

The fine for unlawful parking of a vehicle in a space designated for disabled persons' vehicles is two base units.