Traffic wardens in Scotland are to patrol residential streets and supermarket car parks on scooters under proposals to target motorists who park in disabled bays.

Thousands of disabled spaces are set to become fair game for wardens under new laws enabling them to slap motorists with a £30 fine if they park in a disabled bay.

Responsibility for policing them will fall to councils and police forces who say staff will need to be equipped with mopeds to reach the suburbs and out-of-town retail parks.

Edinburgh council and NCP, the company it contracts to enforce parking laws, said last week that staff will be given mopeds to help them check about 650 disabled parking bays that will be covered by the new law. In Glasgow, about 4,500 discretionary bays will become enforceable.

The proposal to fine drivers for wrongly parking in disabled bays was formally introduced to the Scottish parliament last month by Jackie Baillie, the Labour MSP.

At present, fines can only be enforced in about 15% of disabled bays. The vast majority are “advisory”, meaning anyone can park in them without the risk of being penalised.

She decided to take action after hearing from a constituent who had a disabled bay but could not use it because a neighbour kept parking in it and could not be fined.

Under the reforms, a fine of £30 would be imposed, rising to £60 after 14 days, for those who abuse disabled parking bays.

A survey taken by Capability Scotland in 2003 found that 44% of cars parked in disabled spaces in retail-outlet car parks were not displaying a disabled sticker.

It is estimated there are 1m disabled people in Scotland, including 96,000 wheelchair users and 223,995 blue-badge holders. The Disabled Persons’ Parking Places (Scotland) Bill has received widespread support. A petition in favour of the bill and the positive impact it will have has gathered almost 3,000 signatures.

Tim Cowen of NCP Services, which deploys parking attendants for Edinburgh council, said: “There is a small minority of able-bodied cheats who think it’s fine to park in disabled bays.

“It is not, and keeping them out of the bays is one of the most important jobs a parking attendant can do.”

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