The police in Canton Sarajevo (CS), based on citizens’ reports, recorded a certain number of permits that were issued “beyond the procedures and rules”, and which refer to the abuse of parking spaces intended for people with disabilities, said Admir Katica, CS Minister of the Internal Affairs.
“We have recorded cases where children of disabled people most often use these cars without removing the tags. We know that these documents are issued a lot,” stated Amir Cengic from the Association of Disabled and Handicapped Persons in Ilidza.
The Sarajevo police also said that there were criminal acts of falsifying documents, i.e. permits for parking in places for people with disabilities.
For years, people with disabilities have been pointing out to the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) the numerous problems they face almost every day, especially those related to freedom of movement.
Although there is no single database on the number of people with disabilities, it is estimated that there are about 295 thousand of them in BiH.
Cheaper fines than paying for parking
The law on the basics of traffic safety on roads in BiH currently prescribes a penalty for illegal parking in places for disabled people in the amount of 40 BAM (about 20 euros). Recently, the Chamber of Deputies of the BiH Parliament voted to increase the fine to 200 BAM (about 100 euros).
On June 15th, the House of Peoples adopted amendments to this law, which increased the fines to 200 BAM.
“So far, experiences show that people have parked knowingly and even sent a message to the police: “Just write the fine”, because that fine is sometimes cheaper than paying for parking, and these amendments will make the fine more serious”, says Sasa Magazinovic, the proposer of changes to the law, Radio Slobodna Evropa reports.
E.Dz.
