CALLS in State Parliament for big increases in fines for drivers who block footpaths and misuse disabled parking bays have been backed by a disability advocacy group. Perth MLA John Hyde told the Legislative Assembly that selfish drivers who hindered people in wheelchairs from moving about because they parked across paths needed a stronger deterrent than a mere $80 fine. "When an able-bodied driver stops the disabled from accessing disabled car bays then this Parliament should be endorsing a much stronger fine than $50," Mr Hyde said. He said though maximum fines under the Local Government Act were set at $5000, many magistrates did not even adhere to councils' minimum penalty of $200 when a persistent offender was taken to court. WA People With Disabilities executive officer Kaye Regan said when the disabled were continually confronted with obstacles, such as abuse of marked parking, it discouraged them from going out. "It's a huge problem really. I think people just do not think about what they are doing," Ms Regan said. "It's difficult enough for people with disabilities to get around as it is. "This sort of thing just decreases their ability to access the community." Outside Parliament, Mr Hyde said the problem had come to his attention when he went for a walk recently with a Mt Lawley family and their son, who was in a wheelchair. "We came across cars blocking footpaths totally - you couldn't even access the road to go around, even if it was safe to push a heavy wheelchair on an uneven road," he said. Ms Regan echoed Mr Hyde's request for Parliament to look at more realistic penalties in future legislation. He also asked local government and magistrates to use maximum deterrents when setting fines for persistent offenders. Source www.thewest.com.au ###