Red light for GPs over blue badges

COUNCILS will be told to send every applicant for a disabled parking badge for an independent medical test, in a bid to stamp out widespread abuse.

The £55 million crackdown will also give authorities new powers to confiscate stolen or forged badges.

There are 48 blue badges in circulation per 1,000 people in Oldham, in line with the national average of 46 per 1,000.

Many councils with high numbers of blue badges have been accused of flouting Department for Transport (DfT) guidelines by accepting recommendations from GPs without further checks.

It is estimated that up to half of blue badges are being used fraudulently, partly because drivers can easily claim that they were dropping off or picking up the holder. The badges are so hotly-sought after — offering free use of both parking meter and pay-and-display spaces — that they can fetch up to £1,500 on the black market.

Under the new scheme, announced yesterday, a team of medical assessors will carry out standardised checks to ensure that only those who really need a badge receive one.

That will take decisions out of the hands of GPs who, it is argued, are under strong pressure to grant a badge that costs them nothing to approve.

Transport Minister Paul Clark said: “The blue badge already provides a lifeline for more than 2.3 million disabled people in England.

“It helps them to retain their independence by making it easier to access services, visit friends and family, as well as to seek work or education.

“That is why it is so important to make sure that it meets the needs of today’s society.

“Two thirds of councils tell us abuse of the scheme is a major issue and that around one in every 200 badges in circulation is reported as stolen each year.

“And with forged or stolen badges reportedly being sold on the black market for up to £1,500 a time, it is time to get tough.”

The crackdown will also establish a £10 million national data-sharing system, to allow councils to check stolen or forged badges from outside their areas.

And it will extend the scheme to people with temporary mobility problems or mental health problems, disabled armed forces personnel and young children with disabilities.