The Defender of Citizens of Girona has highlighted the existence of multiple cases of fraudulent use of parking cards for people with reduced mobility in her 2025 annual report.
The document registers complaints where the improper use of these credentials by drivers other than the holder or even after their death is evidenced. A citizen filed a specific claim and the collaboration of the Association of Multicapacitats made it possible to verify that the card was being used by someone who did not meet the legal requirements. This non-compliance generates direct harm to those who need to occupy reserved parking spaces on the public roads of Girona.
Technical proposals and administrative failures
Alsina has requested a thorough review of the control system for the validity and ownership of these documents. The ombudsman proposes establishing agile mechanisms to facilitate the exchange of information between the different local administrations. The objective is to have the most up-to-date data possible to verify if the holder is still alive or retains the disability status.
In the analyzed file, it is clearly appreciated how the lack of administrative coordination makes it difficult to detect these abuses in real time. Special authorizations are only valid when the disabled person travels inside the car, something that is complicated to supervise in vehicles driven by third parties.
Sanctions and municipal context
The case under study resulted in the imposition of two consecutive fines. The first amounted to 200 euros for incorrect parking in an exclusive zone. The second reached 301 euros for fraudulent use of the card. The officers verified that the person driving the vehicle was not the authorized holder. The regulations contemplate economic sanctions ranging from 301 to 6,000 euros for this type of minor offense regulated by specific legislation.
Municipal data reflect the magnitude of the problem in the province, as during the 2024 fiscal year the Municipal Police issued 921 tickets for parking in reserved spaces without a valid permit. This figure underscores the need to maintain strict surveillance in neighborhoods and shopping centers.
"the fraudulent use caused serious harm to those who really needed to use it" - Marta Alsina, Defender of the Citizenry of Girona
Although in the specific case it was assessed that there was no profit motive or malicious intent, the authority insists on the advisability of punishing these behaviors to deter future irregular conduct.
The institution also advocates for making the sanctioning regime more flexible in situations of immediate error. Alsina considers it ideal to allow instant rectifications that avoid fines for drivers who correct their mistake on the go. However, she warns that the Municipal Police must continue to act firmly against the systematic abuse of the cards. The document was released during an extraordinary plenary session held last Monday amid growing neighborhood concern over the illegal occupation of accessible parking spaces.