A Tow Truck Occupied Two Disabled Parking Spaces Outside a Dino Store in Kruszyn. What Does the Driver Face?

The tow-truck driver parked the vehicle outside the Dino store in Kruszyn, simultaneously occupying two parking spaces designated for people with disabilities. This situation shows that the problem of unauthorized use of spaces for people with disabilities remains current also in smaller towns.

– It seems this has become normal lately – a reader who also sent us a photo wrote. – A person with a disability certificate and another man had to walk to the store from the far end of the parking lot because the spaces designated for them had been blocked by a tow truck – the reader added.

Occupying spaces designated for people with disabilities without the appropriate authorization is not only a violation of the law, but also creates a danger for people who genuinely need these spaces. A driver who stops a vehicle in such a space without the required parking card may in practice prevent a person with mobility problems from doing their shopping.

What consequences can result from such parking?

The regulations clearly specify the sanctions related to unauthorized occupation of spaces for people with disabilities. Parking a vehicle in such a space without a parking card results in a fine of PLN 800 and the imposition of 6 penalty points. However, these are not the only possible consequences.

Under Article 96b of the Code of Petty Offenses, using a parking card by an unauthorized person is punishable by a fine of up to PLN 2,000. The case may also be referred to court, in which case the consequences may be considerably more serious.

A driver who violates the regulations must also reckon with the vehicle being towed and the need to cover the associated costs. Moreover, if the case goes to court, an explanation will have to be given before the court, and the penalty imposed by the court may amount to as much as PLN 30,000.

Why are spaces for people with disabilities so important?

Parking spaces designated for people with disabilities are wider and located closer to building entrances, allowing people with limited mobility to exit their vehicles freely and move around safely. Unauthorized occupation of these spaces—especially by large vehicles, as in the case of the tow truck in Kruszyn—makes it even more difficult for people who need additional maneuvering space to use them.

The case from Kruszyn is another example of a situation in which a lack of consideration and disregard for the regulations can have unpleasant consequences—both for the driver and for people who use such spaces every day.