Medway Council officers confiscated badges and issued penalty charges in a crackdown on disabled parking permit fraud, to improve accessibility for those who genuinely need parking spaces.
Between 31 March and 04 April, Medway Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers teamed up with Counter Fraud Officers to actively seek out people using fraudulent blue badges or misusing genuine badges that belong to friends and relatives, across the borough.
Blue badges allow individuals to park more conveniently and free of charge in pay & display and shared use on-street parking bays, on single yellow lines when loading, and in designated disabled person’s parking places.
During the recent spot checks, council officers examined more than 100 badges, resulting in the confiscation of 24 badges that had either been reported lost or stolen and were still being used, or were forged. They also issued 12 penalty charge notices to vehicles used by individuals misusing badges, such as family members using blue badges without the badge holder being present.
The rules around using Blue Badge parking permits are very clear. It is a criminal offence for a person to use a badge when the badge holder is not present; to use a badge that does not belong to them; to create a copy of a badge; to use an expired badge, or to alter a badge. The user could be fined up to £1,000, although this can potentially increase to more than £5,000 in cases of fraud. Anyone who is unsure of the rules should visit the council’s website.
Medway Council is committed to continuing its proactive efforts to clamp down on blue badge fraud. This initiative aims to prevent the abuse of the parking system and improve accessibility for those who genuinely need parking spaces.
Cllr Alex Paterson, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Highways and Enforcement, said: “I hope this recent crackdown will send a strong message to those abusing a system that’s designed to help those in genuine need. It’s totally unacceptable to use a lost, stolen or forged badge, and we will make every effort to make sure those doing so will pay the penalty.”
If you have an expired Blue Badge or one you no longer need, please return it to us at Blue Badges, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, ME4 4TR or drop it off at one of our Community Hubs.
If you suspect someone of illegally using a Blue Badge for parking, you can report them to the council online, by calling 01634 33 2377 or by e-mailing blue.badges@medway.gov.uk