Ukrainian drivers will pay significantly higher fines for illegal parking in places for people with disabilities
The Ukrainian government is actively working to strengthen responsibility for violating parking rules, especially in situations that directly concern ensuring the rights and safety of people with disabilities. The modernized bill, which has already passed the probable first stage of discussion and approval, proposes to significantly increase financial sanctions for those who violate the rules for parking in special places for people with special needs. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is preparing relevant amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, and this was reported by the official government portal. According to the new rules, violation of the rules for stopping and parking in places designated for people with disabilities will now be punishable by a fine of 300 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens. This is approximately 5,100 hryvnias — significantly more than the current sanctions, which range from 60 to 100 minimums (i.e. approximately from 1,020 to 1,700 hryvnias). The new amount of the fine should serve as a serious warning to careless drivers and destroy the chaotic parking system in large cities and settlements. In addition, the bill proposes to introduce mandatory use of identification marks for drivers who belong to the category of persons with disabilities or those who transport them. According to the new requirements, vehicles must be equipped with a special sign "Driver with disabilities" and a QR code confirming the status. In case of ignoring this rule, penalties are provided: parking without a proper identification mark together with a QR code will be punished in the same way, with increased fines. These are measures that should significantly reduce the number of violations and improve conditions for people with disabilities. The statistics are quite ambiguous: every year the number of violations of parking rules in the area for the disabled is increasing. In 2023, 5,756 cases of illegal stopping or parking in such places were recorded, and in 2024 this figure is 7,259. This indicates a blatant misunderstanding of the importance of following the rules and insufficient responsibility of drivers. The head of government emphasizes that the adoption of the bill will be a key step in creating comfortable conditions for people with disabilities, among whom there are many veterans, war veterans and other vulnerable categories of citizens. According to him, the introduction of enhanced sanctions will help reduce the number of offenses, as well as prevent their recurrence in the future. The bill has now been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada, and its consideration should take place in the near future. In the meantime, Ukrainians remain under the state's sights in matters of compliance with traffic rules and the rights of people with disabilities. Given the general situation with non-payment of fines during the war, special attention will be paid to strengthening control and responsibility of all drivers in order to prevent a further increase in the number of violations and ensure fairness and safety on Ukrainian roads.