In Ukraine, a comprehensive set of new benefits for people with disabilities is being prepared, concerning free parking for vehicles and increased fines for illegal occupation of parking spaces designated for this category of citizens. The introduction of such measures aims to improve the accessibility of urban infrastructure for people with disabilities, among whom there is a significant number of war veterans.
This is reported by Finway
New Benefits for Drivers with Disabilities
According to government representative in the Verkhovna Rada Taras Melnychuk, relevant draft laws were approved at a Cabinet meeting held on July 30. The next step is the consideration and adoption of these initiatives in the Verkhovna Rada.
A key innovation will be the right to free parking for drivers with disabilities or transporters of such individuals, provided they have a special identifying sign “Driver with Disability” on their vehicle. Importantly, this sign will have a unique QR code that confirms the user’s status and allows information to be verified through paper or electronic documents. The absence of such a sign will deprive individuals of their benefits, and violators will face increased penalties in the form of new fines.
Increased Fines and Mandatory Identifying Sign
A separate draft law proposes to strengthen administrative responsibility for violations of parking rules in spaces designated for individuals with disabilities. In particular, it concerns increasing fines for:
- illegal stopping, standing, or parking in specially designated places for people with disabilities (except for forced stops);
- creating obstacles for drivers with disabilities or those transporting them in making stops or parking.
If the changes are adopted by the Verkhovna Rada, the amount of the fine could increase by 3–5 times — up to 300 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens, which is up to 5100 hryvnias. This is expected to significantly reduce the number of parking violations in spaces for people with disabilities. In 2024, such violations were recorded at 7259, which is 20% more than in the previous year.
The draft law also establishes the obligation for drivers with disabilities or those transporting them to necessarily display the identifying sign “Driver with Disability” with a unique electronic identifier (QR code) on their vehicles.
The introduction of such changes aims to make urban mobility more convenient and safer for all people with disabilities.