Toronto looking to crack down on misuse of accessible parking permits

CityNews.ca
July 25, 2017

The City of Toronto is looking to crack down on drivers who misuse parking permits to park in spots for people with disabilities.

Coun. Joe Mihevc, who is spearheading the movement, is recommending that anyone who applies for an accessible parking permit prove they need it via an independent vetting process similar to one in New York.

“New York State gives authority for a permit, but then the city checks you out,” Mihevc told 680 NEWS on Tuesday. “So you have to go someplace and have third-party validation that you actually need the permit. Then you get a decal that you put on the state permit,

“An additional suggestion is to have a picture of the person on the flip side of it.”

He said there are two reasons why the permit issue is taking place.

“One is using a permit of someone who has a disability and needs the permit, but they are the sister, brother, uncle, friend, father, mother of the person. And there are people who fraudulently obtain it,” Mihevc said.

The city’s accessible parking permit system is controlled by the province, which oversees the applications.

“With a single-tiered validation system, the City of Toronto is made vulnerable to fraudulent behaviour and the abuse of its accessible permit program,” Mihevc said in a document submitted to council earlier this year.

In May, city council voted to have the province review the process and have the motion presented to the Toronto Police Services Board. It also requested that Transportation Services consult on a “system to create a municipal level of assessment.”

The city is expected to present a series of recommendations to the Toronto Police Services Board on Thursday.