Tighter controls needed to put brakes on blue badge cheats

Published on Friday 30 May 2008 10:34

Permit fraudsters are selfish, mean and antisocial, says David Griffiths.

THE Evening News has reported that up to 70 per cent of the city's 18,577 blue badges are being misused and that there were five successful prosecutions last year. That suggests a high level of unpunished crime, but does it matter? Yes it does. I am one of the lucky ones who does not need a blue badge. However, as chief executive of a charity working with people with physical disabilities I have many acquaintances who do.

The main issue is the use of accessible, or disabled, spaces. People who use these spaces when they do not need to commit a far worse offence than dodging the parking fee. They are selfish, mean and antisocial, and I hope that new legislation proposed by MSP Jackie Baillie will soon create new offences relating to private car parks such as supermarkets, and bring in some tough penalties. For someone who really needs a blue badge, it can be the difference between getting to their destination or having to give up.

Friends of mine have missed football matches and important appointments because they could not park near enough, or could not get a large enough space for wheelchair access, and all because some selfish person cannot be bothered to walk an extra 200 yards.

Another issue is free or discounted parking and exemption from other charges. This is a more contentious issue, even amongst those who need blue badges. Does it encourage theft of blue badges? Is it justified? There are arguments on both sides, but the bottom line is, dodging fees is illegal.

Are those who have a blue badge blameless in this? Well, not totally. There is some suspicion that a few blue badge holders are cashing in on the value of their badge, and we hope that the council prosecutes them, and soon. There is, though, the very difficult situation when someone's carer, who has enormous influence over a disabled person's happiness and wellbeing, effectively blackmails them to allow illegal use of the badge.

So, are there any solutions? Edinburgh City Council is leading the way by employing a blue badge fraud detector, and we have always applauded that. The badges themselves need to be made much more secure, perhaps having two parts – one on the car and one held by the owner, both with a photo.

The system also needs to allow a sensible penalty to be implemented quickly for the occasional abuser. Five prosecutions for fraud last year is good news, but if 70 per cent of 18,577 badges are being misused that's over 13,000 criminals out there. So if five prosecutions for fraud were accompanied by 10,000 fines of 100 for misuse of a badge, I would be more impressed. Last time I spoke to Councillor Phil Wheeler he was looking for 1 million to spend on transport for people with mobility impairments. Those 10,000 100 fines would do nicely!

&#149 David Griffiths is chief executive of Ecas