East: Blue Badge blues...
The disabled driver's Blue Badge scheme is abused in many parts of the country. Even being issued with one comes into question. But does this malpractice go on in our region?
The Politics Show East wanted to find out just how easy it is to get hold of the permits that give disabled drivers parking concessions. We applied to Cambridgeshire County Council to see what checks and balances are in place. Three weeks later we received a badge. We had written a letter detailing our alleged "disability", but no checks were made to see whether we were really disabled.
We confronted Pat Harding, Cambridgeshire Council's Director of Customer Service, with this, to which she replied: "Someone obviously gave information that was erroneous... "If somebody gets a badge and it's fraudulently obtained or is misused after it's obtained, that is a criminal offence, so it should be followed up. I think with any process, one or two will slip through the net. "The other ways of doing it would be to make it tremendously complicated and difficult for the very people who need it and evidence would support they don't then apply".
Honesty the best policy?
Suffolk County Council introduced a new system last year which also relies on "people being honest about the nature of their disability".
You qualify for a badge automatically if you receive the higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance.
Otherwise it is discretionary and issued at the judgement of local authorities.
Local authorities charge a £2 fee for issuing a blue badge.
But the cost of checking a discretionary one is put at around £25.
Misuse of a Blue Badge is a serious offence:
Your badge can be withdrawn if you misuse it or allow others to misuse it
It is a criminal offence for non-disabled people to use a badge
If they do so, they are liable to a fine of up to £1,000
It is a criminal offence to drive a vehicle displaying a Blue Badge unless the badge holder is in the vehicle, or the vehicle is being driven by someone other than the badge holder for the purpose of entering or leaving an area (which is accessible only to vehicles displaying a Blue Badge) in order to pick up or drop off the holder
Misuse of a designated Blue Badge bay...
Non-disabled people who park in a bay designated for Blue Badge holders are liable to a parking fine
The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), which gives advice to the House of Commons Transport Committee, would like the voluntary sector to take on the administration of the blue badge scheme.
But the government wants to leave it in councils' hands. The government does accept the need for clear common guidance across the UK and it is acknowledged that there is a potentially high risk of misuse.
Blue black market
Essex County Council had this response to our Freedom of Information request: "The extra 24,000 (blue badges) in last three years are attributed to congestion charge and equality awareness".
Richard Boyd, Chief Executive of Disability Essex, and member of DPTAC said: "The Blue Badge in London on the black market is worth between £500 and £900 because you avoid paying for fees especially in congestion areas. Badges are being stolen... Essex police is aware of the problem... It is also putting people off for applying for them because they don't want their windscreen smashed."
DPTAC believes that ideally any replacement scheme should be compatible with neighbouring authority systems.
They are also worried about the abuse of parking provision made for Blue Badge holders.