CHANGES TO BLUE BADGE SCHEME

Minister for Transport Rosie Winterton has announced a raft of changes to the Blue Badge parking scheme in a bid to reduce fraud and extend the scheme to more people. From 15 October 2007, anyone applying for a Blue Badge will receive an updated version which has been redesigned to incorporate a hologram – a vital tool in the fight against Blue Badge fraud as it will make the badge harder to forge or copy. In a further bid against misuse, the badge will also include a gender-specific serial number which will make identification of the user easier for traffic wardens and police officers.

The Blue Badge scheme has been extended to cover children under two years of age whose disability requires bulky medical equipment. The move will please parents Kelli-Ann Rushton and Helen Grindrod, whose daughters both wear leg casts because of hip dysplasia. They have been campaigning for almost a year for changes to the eligibility criteria for Blue Badges, since their daughters’ medical conditions make it impossible to use regular parking bays. The Department for Transport estimates that this change will open the scheme to a further 12,000 children.

In addition, people with a disability in both arms who do not drive an adapted vehicle will now be able to apply for a Blue Badge, since it has been recognised that they can have difficulties in using parking meters and other parking equipment. The Transport Minister explained: “The changes we are announcing extend the scheme to children under two who need to travel with bulky medical equipment and to people whose disabilities mean they can drive non-adapted cars but cannot operate parking meters. The addition of a hologram to the badge will also help to prevent fraud and misuse.”

A strategic review of the Blue Badge Scheme is currently underway and will continue until April 2008, when further suggestions for reform will be made. The review covers a range of topics including charging a fee for badges, the introduction of temporary badges and how to make use of new technologies to tackle fraud more effectively.

Taken from the Able`s website www.ablemagazine.co.uk/

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