Blue badge cost rises to £10 in bid to beat fraud

Oldham Council Cabinet
COUNCIL chiefs have hailed tough new measures to crackdown on cheats who abuse the blue badge disabled parking scheme.

The Government has introduced a new badge which they claim is harder to forge, but at a price.

Oldham Council is increasing the cost of a blue badge fivefold, from £2 to £10, for the approximately 11,000 registered badge holders in the borough.

The badges give the disabled the right to a priority, parking space and enables them to park for free.

Councillor Phil Harrison, cabinet member for adult social services and health, believes the new scheme will stamp out the cheats.

He said: “I think one of the biggest issues around disabilities in Oldham is people who cheat the blue badge system.

“The current system, which has been abused for many years, not just in Oldham but around the country, will now be more secure and will stop those cheating the system.”

However, wheelchair-bound Myra Wyers, of Oldham Disability Arts Forum, thinks the abusers will still con the system.

She said: “I don’t think the changes will make a difference to the baddies out there. I don’t think the cost should go up, because the cheats will find a way to get round it.

“Also the responsibility should be on the blue-badge holder to not give away their badge to people and if they are caught, they should be fined.”

Paul Cassidy, assistant executive director of people, communities and society, said it will cost the council £10 to produce and administer the new-style badge, the increase stemming from the Government.

The new badge will be made from plastic, instead of cardboard, and will be electronic — much like a driving licence.

He said: “It will give greater guarantees to disabled people that their badges will not be misused. It will also mean there will be a national database so if our street wardens see someone who does not look to be disabled they can check with the database. If they have their suspicions then they can issue a ticket and can take proper action against the misuse of the badges.”

Blue badge holders do not need to renew their badge until their current expiry date.