Disabled drivers wary of Blue Badge use after thefts

"Sometimes... [I think] bash I person to parkland successful the disabled space?"

Mary had her Blue Badge stolen from her car and her acquisition is becoming much common.

There were 1,484 Blue Badge thefts successful the twelvemonth to March 2022, up 41% from 1,055 the erstwhile year, according to the latest disposable figures from the Department for Transport (DfT).

Mary, 33, from Essex, was astatine a northbound London edifice successful August 2021 erstwhile idiosyncratic connected a motorbike smashed her car model and took her Blue Badge.

Her wellness condition, sickle compartment disease, means she experiences acute and chronic pain, peculiarly successful her hep and shoulder. This limits her mobility, truthful a Blue Badge allows her to parkland successful areas person to her destination.

After the theft, Mary was without her car for 2 weeks, leaving her feeling "trapped and highly vulnerable".

She is besides upset that idiosyncratic other is displaying her Blue Badge, showing her sanction and picture. "They cognize who I am, they could spot maine and I person nary thought who they are," she said.

Mary says she is present little apt to show her badge. "When I'm going to unfamiliar places similar that, I effort not to usage my Blue Badge. That would beryllium my advice, which is simply a shame, really, due to the fact that it's determination to beryllium utilised, truthful that beingness is easier."

Disability activistic Shani Dhanda, 35, from Walsall, has had a Blue Badge since puerility and said she did not realise however overmuch she relied connected it until hers was stolen successful London successful 2017 and again a twelvemonth later.

Ms Dhanda has brittle bony disease, which causes her bones to often break, affecting her quality to determination and travel.

After 1 theft, she had to hold six months for a replacement badge, which took distant her independence.

"I was much reliant connected others. It near maine feeling adjacent much susceptible and it makes maine not privation to spell retired and usage my badge, but I person nary choice," she said.

Walsall Council said replacement badges should beryllium sent retired successful 7 to 10 days.

Graham Footer, main enforcement of foundation Disabled Motoring UK, believes the cost-of-living situation could substance a further emergence successful thefts.

"A stolen Blue Badge becomes much attractive, truthful [people] are prepared to wage hundreds of pounds for them," helium said.

The magnitude saved successful parking charges by displaying a Blue Badge varies by region, according to Mr Footer, arsenic bash the prosecution rates crossed UK councils.

"You tin prevention a batch of wealth successful London, and that's wherever we get a precocious percent of badges stolen."

He said immoderate councils were doing a bully occupation astatine tackling Blue Badge misuse, but this tin pb to the occupation moving to a neighbouring country with debased oregon nary enforcement.

When a badge is reported arsenic stolen, assembly officials tin cancel it, portion postulation wardens tin cheque a badge's validity astatine the roadside, according to the DfT.

Mr Footer said the deficiency of badge inspection by postulation wardens is simply a origin successful wherefore they proceed to beryllium stolen, arsenic criminals trust connected officials not checking them.

He said 1 crushed is postulation wardens "don't deliberation it's portion of their job" to study stolen badges to councils, immoderate of which employment teams dedicated to prosecuting offenders.

"The quality to beryllium capable to spot fraud and misuse needs to beryllium a portion of [traffic warden] training, successful my opinion," helium added.

The British Parking Association (BPA), which represents the UK's parking and mobility sector, said portion postulation wardens tin study the misuse of a badge, the process of recovering 1 is much difficult. The vehicle's proprietor indispensable beryllium identified oregon beryllium contiguous for a badge to beryllium seized.

A BPA spokesperson said, "Fraudulent use, misuse and maltreatment of the Blue Badge is wrong. Everyone has a relation to play successful helping to trim it, including civilian enforcement officers [traffic wardens] erstwhile managing and enforcing parking rules."

Disabled Motoring UK suggests radical should lone show their Blue Badges erstwhile necessary.

It besides advises securing badges successful vehicles with a Blue Badge protector, which tin beryllium locked connected to the steering wheel. They scope successful price, with immoderate costing astir £50.

An LGA spokesperson said: "More councils than ever earlier are present taking steps to tackle this contented successful their communities."

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