Blue badge crackdown as drivers hit with £1,000 warning

Drivers have been warned they face a fine of up to £1,000 for breaking blue badge rules. And a Midlands council has led a crackdown on rule breakers.

Enforcement officers have been in Sandwell looking for drivers breaking blue badge rules. A blue badge can only be used when the badge holder is present.

It is an offense for the badge holder or anyone else to misuse a blue badge and this could result in a £1,000 fine and confiscation of the badge. Sandwell Council has received an award for its work to tackle blue badge fraud.

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The local authority revealed it had carried out 10 successful prosecutions and issued a further 18 warning letters in the past 12 months. Officials also canceled a blue badge application that was not believed to be valid.

Council bosses have vowed to continue to crack down on people trying to misuse the badges. There have been cases nationwide of people using badges belonging to relatives or friends so they can use disabled parking spaces – and in turn taking up a space that cannot be used by a disabled person.

Officials say this type of behavior will not be tolerated. Councilor Paul Moore, deputy leader of Sandwell Council, said: “Blue badge fraud impacts on the most vulnerable members of the public with disabilities or mobility issues.

“When a badge is misused, it can lead to disabled people being unable to find suitable parking, leading to missed appointments, a reluctance to go out and ultimately isolation from our community. If you know or suspect someone may be misusing your badge, let us know. Swift action will be taken.