Blue badge cheats put disabled at risk

Disabled people who lend their blue parking badge to drivers who cheat the rules and wrongly park in disabled spaces could lose their badge privilege.
By Nuala Naughton
Published 30th Apr 2015, 15:46 BST

New legislation, added to the Disabled Persons’ Parking Badges (Scotland) Act 2014, came into effect last month, giving parking attendants the power to confiscate a person’s blue badge if it’s being misused.

Council bosses say blue badge cheats put disabled people at risk of losing their badge as well as depriving a genuine badge holder a parking space.

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To compliment the nationwide advertising campaign, Glasgow’s parking attendants are issuing leaflets to vehicles parked in Glasgow displaying a blue badge.

The leaflet outlines the new powers and what they mean for badge holders.

Transport councillor Alistair Watson, says the new powers will be a big help in tackling the illegal use of blue badges.

He said: “The rules on the misuse of blue badges are very clear.

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“It is an offence to use a blue badge unless it is for the benefit of the badge holder.

“Those who abuse the rules are depriving disabled people of opportunities the rest of society take for granted.

“This new legislation means our parking attendants will be able to deal with cases of misuse far more effectively.

He said cheating drivers don’t just take a parking space; they also deny a parking space to someone with a disability.

The estimated level of misuse in Glasgow is 27 per cent.

Surveys have shown that, in some areas, more than half of bays are occupied by vehicles displaying blue badges.