A Halifax man who relies on his wheelchair to get around says there is widespread abuse of people parking in accessible parking spots, without a permit.
Lawrence Aucoin says his van has allowed him independence since a car crash left him a quadriplegic 28 years ago.
But he says he has trouble finding parking no matter where he goes because people are abusing the use of accessible parking permits.
With roughly 15,000 permits in Nova Scotia, Aucoin says they are too easy to get, and many people park in accessible parking spots, with or without a pass.
"People just have to grow a conscience," he says. "I know people that used them. Their mother-in-law owned it and she passed away and they're still using it."
The fine for parking illegally in an accessible parking spot is $100. More than 1,000 tickets were issued for public spaces last year, and 87 were issued for private spaces.
Aucoin says he sometimes speaks up when he sees parking infractions but often thinks better of it.
"It's scary because you don't know…I'm pretty defenseless if I want to defend myself," he says. "If I could say one thing it would be, people have to think. This is my freedom, my vehicle is. So I need to be able to park."
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell
