DRIVER’S licence demerit points look set to be ­introduced for “low-lifes” who park in spaces reserved for the disabled.

NSW Roads Minister ­Duncan Gay has asked his ­department to look at adding the offence to the state’s ­demerit points list.

Mr Gay was responding to pleas from a Sydney council, and several MPs who say an increasing number of disabled people are complaining parking spots set aside for them are being used illegally.

Last week The Daily Telegraph reported Lane Cove councillor Karola Brent was photographed leaving her luxury 4WD in a disabled spot outside shops on Longueville Road.

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The photo of the councillor, who later apologised, emerged on the same day Lane Cove mayor David Brooks-Horn successfully moved that council write to Mr Gay, asking that he ­introduce demerit points, and increase fines, for disabled parking offences.

Drivers can now be fined $519 for parking in a disabled space without a permit. ­Able-bodied drivers can be hit with a $623 fine for improperly using an official mobility parking scheme permit.

Figures from the Office of State Revenue show about 16,000 fines are issued for disabled zone parking breaches each year. About 800,000 people around Australia have a disability parking permit.

media_camera Cartoonist Warren Brown’s view.

The tough talking Mr Gay said: “Able-bodied people who steal disabled carparks from people who genuinely need them are low-lifes, plain and simple. I’ve asked Roads and Maritime Services to look at introducing demerit point penalties for people parking ­illegally in disabled carparks. I have utmost sympathy for the people who are disadvantaged by this sick behaviour.”

Before last week’s vote, Mr Brooks-Horn said many people had alerted him to the abuse of permits and parking spots.

“You have these spots for a reason. If someone is so arrogant to park there then I think they should be punished.”

Fellow councillor Frank Karpin, who uses a disabled parking sticker after having a stroke in 2009, said he had often seen people in Lane Cove illegally parking in ­disabled zones.

In the UK fines up to $A1,840 are used against those who park illegally in disabled spots. In San Francisco, the fine for parking in a ­disabled spot without a permit is about $A1,100.