Blue Badge fraud

Blue Badge Reform Will Combat Fraud

A new blue badge for people with disabilities is being introduced as part of a national crackdown on fraud.

All badges issued from January 1st will be electronically printed on durable PVC which is harder to copy, alter or forge than the cardboard version.
From the same date, people renewing their badges may be required to provide different information under changes designed to speed up the renewal process.

The Blue Badge story 

                             Motorists have been faced with ever increasing bills of late and perhaps it would be a good time for some motoring evolution. I am not saying drive over Jeremy Clarkson but let’s look at a little logic: everyday people have their cars broken into, so that someone can make off with their Blue Badge.  This generates major upset for the victim and becomes time consuming for the motorist e.g. they have to get their window fixed, get a crime reference number, thus wasting real, valuable police time and their time, as well as having to reapply to the council.  Then there is the time spent by the council, police or TFL investigating.  Least of all, one should not forget the loss of revenue to the authorities or the inconvenience to genuine people who might want to park, for example, near the Arsenal Stadium during a match day.   

                          Why not register the Blue Badge to the registration of the car, have hand-held scanners for parking attendants to place on the windscreen to check and design out this terrible crime, so that there would be no more misery for the motorist.  The fraud in blue badges would disappear overnight and you would not have some bailiff saying you owed money because the badge fell out of the window etc?    

Yours sincerely

Oriel Hutchinson (Ms)

(Organising Secretary at Islington Conservative Federation)