October 20, 2008

epartment for Transport have earmarked £55 million towards a radical overhaul of the UK’s ‘blue badge’ scheme that sets out to provide parking access for more than 2.3 million disabled people in England.

The money will be spent tackling fraudulent use of existing blue badges, something which Birmingham city council estimates costs them £500,000 a year in lost parking charges alone.

Transport minister Paul Clark said: "The Blue Badge already provides a vital lifeline for more than 2.3 million disabled people in England. It helps them retain their independence by making it easier to access vital services, visit friends and family, as well as to seek work or education. That is why it is so important to make sure that it meets the needs of today's society.

"Two thirds of councils tell us abuse of the scheme is a major issue - and that around 1 in every 200 Badges in circulation are reported as stolen each year. And with forged or stolen Badges reportedly being sold on the black market for up to £1,500 a time, it is time to get tough and stop Blue Badge abuse and vehicle crime.

"Alongside this we need to make sure that everyone who needs a Badge receives one, and that is why I have today announced that we will be extending the scope of the scheme."

To support immediate confiscation of misused badges a £10m national data sharing system will be established by councils to ensure stolen or forged Badges from outside their local area can be easily identified for the first time.

The Department for Transport is also considering new technologies to make Badges harder to forge, including barcodes that can be read through windscreens by traffic wardens.

Helen Smith Mobilise Director of Policy and Campaigns comments: "Mobilise has been campaigning for a review of the Blue Badge scheme for many years and so we welcome this announcement of the new Blue Badge strategy.

"Unfortunately too many people are misusing and abusing Blue Badges and this means the scheme is no longer benefiting the people that it should. Only by ensuring that people meeting the qualifying criteria are issued with badges and abuse of the scheme is taken very seriously will the scheme work again as it was intended.

"I therefore hope that this strategy will tackle these issues and ensure that disabled people are able to get out and about and park a lot more easily."

The £55 million earmarked for the scheme does feel a like using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut.  The government figures issued today state that 1 in 200 badges are stolen annually, that’s 0.5% of badges issued.  Half a per cent of 2.3 million badges is 11,500 badges.  £55 million to combat fraudulent use of 11,500 disabled badges will cost the taxpayer more than £4,500 per badge, hardly a good return for the investment.

Given the governments increasing use of fines from draconian parking regulations and speed cameras across the country most drivers would rather that less money was wasted on something that is a relatively small inconvenience, as I think we all know where the money would be coming from…

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