Motorists in the Shannonside Region are being warned that a no tolerance approach is in place for those who misuse blue parking spaces.
Parking spaces for people with disabilities or mobility issues are located in each city, town and village and can be legally used with a valid Disabled Person's Parking Card.
Gardaí in Longford have warned that those found in the spaces without a legally held card will be fined the maximum amount of €150.
Sergeant Darren Conlon from Longford Garda Station is warning local motorists that no excuses will be accepted from those caught.
The Community Policing Sergeant is calling for a greater understanding of the serious effect the misuse of these spaces can have on those who need them:
'There is no excuses you either have a permit or you don't. You see the people we encounter that with permits no problem once it is valid and once it's verified but if you do not have a parking permit it is the one thing I have no hesitation in giving a fine out for it. It is 150 euros so is it worth the two minutes for that bag of chips. There's loads of parking in Longford and off street parking that you can go in and come up within the laneways so there is no excuse for parking in a disabled bay in Longford.'
