Crackdown nets blue badge fraud
A TWO-DAY crackdown on the misuse of the blue badge scheme in Bridgend saw 20 badges taken away from people.
Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) said the majority of the fraud involved people using someone else’s badge dishonestly to avoid paying for parking.
In one case, someone was using a badge that had already been reported as lost or stolen, and in another, a relative was using a blue badge despite the fact that the eligible badge holder was deceased.
The enforcement work was carried out by the local authority in partnership with a specialist team from Portsmouth City Council.
It involved hundreds of badges being checked on Tuesday and Wednesday last week.
In total 15 people were fined and the council said further action was “under consideration”.
At an audit committee on Thursday, finance officers said it was something to keep an eye on, adding there was more misuse than the council had expected and it had probably “only scratched the surface” of the issue.
By law, blue badges can only be displayed in a vehicle if the badge holder is present in the car when it arrives or parks.
It cannot be borrowed or used if they are not in the vehicle, even if someone is running an errand on the badge holder’s behalf.
The misuse of a blue badge is subject to a penalty on conviction of up to £1,000, although this can potentially increase to more than £5,000 in cases of fraud.
BCBC deputy leader Hywel Williams said: “It is disappointing to see such abuse of blue badges in our area, but I hope this sends out a strong message to those who seek to misuse them.”
Council leader Huw David said abuse of the scheme reduced the number of spaces that were available for genuine blue badge holders to use and impacted upon the most vulnerable members of the community.
Simon Green, chairman of the Bridgend Coalition of Disabled People, added: “Blue badges are essential to many and are not a luxury.
“They can be a necessity for getting to work, to go shopping, attend appointments or meeting friends socially as many people need to park closer to buildings.
“As a wheelchair user myself, I need the extra space to get out of my car.
“If people abuse the system, fraudulently use a badge or misuse a family member’s badge, they are taking a disabled parking spot away from someone who may need it and are preventing others from going about their daily business.
“While I continue to campaign to keep blue badge parking free in council-owned car parks and to have more accessible spaces, I think a zero tolerance needs to be taken against anyone who uses a space illegally.”