Blue Badge holders have been issued a £500 warning as their vehicles are being targeted by criminals. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, disability campaigner and MP Liam Conlon warned of a crimewave that is leaving disabled individuals without the ability to park.
He urged the government to develop an electronic alternative, as it can take up to six months to replace a stolen badge which are sold on the black market for £500. Blue Badges are permits that allow people with disabilities or mobility issues to park closer to their destinations.
GMB presenter Ed Balls highlighted that around 5,000 badges were stolen in the past year and questioned the reason behind the dramatic increase in thefts over the last five to ten years. Mr Conlon suggested that people are stealing them to evade parking charges, selling them for between £4 and £500, thereby avoiding annual parking costs of up to £6,000.
This not only defrauds the taxpayer but also impacts victims like Shani and Roxanne, who were mentioned on the show, and deprives local authorities of revenue that could be used for public services and roads.
During an emotional interview on the show, host Susanna Reid asked Shani Dhanda about the importance of her parking exemption: “How vital is having this parking exemption? What does it enable you to do? “
To which Shani responded, detailing the significant impact the badge had on her life: “It enables me to live independently and be in all the places that I need to be, whether it be attending hospital appointments, working socialising, buying food shopping. And I had a badge from a really young age because I was born with my health condition. So my parents had it on my behalf. And so when it got stolen, that was the first time I realised how much I’d relied on it.”
She went on to describe how the theft had essentially trapped her at home, as she couldn’t use public transport and many tube stations are not step-free. She continued: “So then the other option is paying thousands in taxis. So for me, it was a really big, really big shock. I had to change things and it really made me feel disabled. I, I feel like my health condition doesn’t disable me. It’s not having access. That really disables me.”
Shani also highlighted the lack of support from local councils, explaining the difficulties she faced when her badge was stolen: “The first time my badge was stolen, it took me six months to get a replacement just because there were delays with the council. And when I called, I was dismayed that they told me that they couldn’t cancel the stolen blue badge.”
“So I just thought so it’s just going to happen again and again and again and again.”
She explained that once a badge is stolen, it can’t be cancelled, meaning a parking attendant wouldn’t know it was stolen. ” So what you mean is, they can’t once it’s stolen, they can’t cancel that particular badge. So a parking attendant who sees it in the thief’s car doesn’t know it’s a stolen badge. It’s got all my personal details on the back and a picture of me. So you know, this isn’t difficult for parking wardens to check if the person is in the vehicle or, you know, using the badge because the badge is linked to the person, not the car.”
Susanna then remarked: “Now that’s remarkable, isn’t it? Because, of course, people park their cars and then leave them. So it’s not easy for a parking attendant to know if the badge relates to you, because if it’s in a car and the person has gone to the shopping centre for a couple of hours, they’re not going to be able to connect it.
“Do you think that’s a change that should be made that it should be associated with the car? ” Shani responded: “I think that could potentially limit people. What I would love to see, though, is the introduction of a virtual option. I know that some councils have trialled it and it’s really reduced theft by 65% So parking permits, for instance, for residents are very often now digital.”
The cost of a Blue Badge varies, with a fee of up to £10 in England and £20 in Scotland, while it is free in Wales, and typically remains valid for three years. To submit an application, click here.
A Blue Badge can be issued to either the driver or the passenger of the vehicle they are travelling in. Eligibility for a Blue Badge is determined by either automatic qualification or assessment.
The government has issued a warning, stating: “A Blue Badge does not give you licence to park anywhere – for instance you must not park in business permit bays or in any place where you cause an obstruction or danger to other road users. You can be fined, be given a Penalty Charge Notice or have your vehicle removed if you park illegally.”