Leeds feeling blue over badge abuse

An investigation by Leeds City Council has revealed that more than half of the blue badges issued to disabled drivers in the city are being abused or misused.

A pilot enforcement programme saw council officers note the details of badges in cars parked in the city and check to see if the badge was being used by someone else at the same time.

Of the 68 badges checked, 61% of holders subsequently confirmed that it was being wrongfully used. Four badges were being misused on two separate occasions during the pilot, while the registered holders of two of the badges were deceased.

The blue badge scheme allows holders to park in disabled only parking bays. It is a criminal offence for the badge to be used by anyone other than the registered holder. Offenders face a fine of up to £1,000. Allowing someone else to use a badge can see it withdrawn.

Leeds said many of the offences related to a lack of understanding of the rights and responsibilities of using a badge. It added that it had received positive feedback on the pilot from badge holders, who were keen to see action taken to crack down on abuse of the scheme.

Cllr Tom Murray, Leeds’ executive board member for parking services, said “Abuse of this system is unforgivable and, while there are clearly cases where people have mistakenly used them incorrectly, where we find persistent or fraudulent use of a blue badge we will take it away and may even be forced to prosecute.

“We are committed to helping improve services for disabled people and our work to tackle abuse of the blue badge system will make it fairer for all.”

In March, the previous government launched a consultation paper that proposed handing local authorities new powers to tackle abuse of the blue badge scheme. If implemented, councils would have been able to:

• cancel badges, for example if they have been lost or stolen, have expired, have been withdrawn for repeated misuse, or where the holder has ceased to be disabled or no longer requires a badge, and
• confiscate cancelled badges on the spot if a local authority enforcement officer believes the badge is fake or forged or the wrong person is using it. There would also be a new offence of obstructing an authorised officer who is seeking to confiscate a badge.

The fate of this consultation following the change of government remains to be seen.