I WOULD like to applaud Tavistock supermarket Morrisons for the provision of three times the previous number of disabled car parking spaces. With its large retirement age population, West Devon clearly has a larger number of disabled and elderly people than the national average ?and for them, this is not just welcome news, but a vitally important matter of being able to manage to drive out to the shops or not. The challenge now, of course, is for Tavistock town centre to respond by providing many more disabled parking spaces. As it stands, even with a few extra ones recently provided, with so few disabled parking spaces in total, one would think that Tavistock town centre does not welcome disabled drivers. However, none of this matters, of course, if able-bodied drivers continue to abuse the system and park on disabled spaces as suits them. One of the biggest challenges has to be to stop these ignorant people without disabled blue badges from parking in the spaces allocated for disabled drivers who really need to be able to park near to where they are going. Disabled parking spaces are selfishly taken up by fit and healthy people every day without a second thought for those less able to walk very far. What I find hard to understand is why this is apparently allowed? If they don?t have a blue badge, they don?t have the right to park there! My own view is that it is long overdue that local councils or the government step in and make it an offence for people to abuse disabled parking spaces, and start displaying notices similar to the USA, where anyone parking in a disabled bay without a disabled blue badge is liable for a large fine. This offence should cover both on-road disabled parking bays and public car parks, and also disabled spaces outside restaurants and supermarkets. Of course, there would be no problem if fit and healthy able-bodied people were simply more considerate and recognised just how hard life can be for people with disabilities. But if some people won?t stop doing this, then it must be enforced. Andrew Haglington Director Devon Social Group Revelstone Mary Tavy