New measures are being brought in to crack down on blue badge parking abuse. These are expected to be announced by ministers later today.

Theblue badge allows people with disabilities to park in disabled parkiong spaces, for free or on yellow lines. However the system has increasingly been open to abuse.

Critics say some local authorities do not punish those who obtain them fraudulently or allow them to be misused and give them out too easily. One charity has called for consistency across local councils in how they are issued.

Blue badges are issued to people who recieve the mobility supplement or higher rate disability living allowance, registered blind, or receive a war pensioner’sand to other people with mobility problems who undergo an assessment from their doctor. The number of blue badges has soared in recent years with an estimated 2.5 million now in circulation nationally.

Helen Dolphin, Policy co-ordinater for the disabled motorists charity Mobilise says “there is a need for much greater consistency with councils taking more care over who gets them”. Ms Dolphin also wants people to be educated about the proper use: “A lot of family members think they can use it” — even without the disabled person being in the car! “There are also cases of carers thinking they can use it to park when they go shopping.

Paul Slowey of Blue Badge Fraud Investigation Ltd, which investigates blue badge abuse on behalf of councils, says that in some city areas up to 50% of badges are being wrongly used. He says the powers are there for local authorities to mount prosecutions for fraud when they detect misuse, but “historically enforcement has been dreadful”.

Mr Slowey points to the rail network where ticket fraud fell after companies introduced strict measures aimed at fare dodgers. “If the use of blue badges is enforced properly then the scheme will function as it should,” he said.

Author: admin