Edinburgh parking: Seven vehicles impounded in two days as part of crackdown on blue badge fraud

Council chief brands blue badge fraud a 'fundamentally selfish act'.

Seven cars have been impounded for fraudulently displaying disabled parking badges in just two days.

As part of a citywide clampdown 16 parking tickets were also issued for displaying lost, stolen or misused badges, which were taken from offenders.

Blue badges allow people with mobility issues to park in marked disabled spaces, in areas where parking is not normally permitted and for free in pay and display spaces. It also allows parking in shared use on-street parking bays and on single yellow lines when loading is allowed.

Transport chiefs have warned that blue badge fraud 'will not be tolerated' as the council targets motorists who display a badge when not registered disabled or using a badge that doesn't belong to them.

This includes the use of lost or stolen badges or those that belonged to a deceased person, and the misuse of badges belonging to family members by relatives who are not eligible to use them.

Car owners who were using family members blue badges without the badge holder being present, badges were confiscated and warning letters issued to holders, who could face losing their blue badge as a result.

Car lifted on George Street to be impounded for blue badge fraud

Council transport chief Scott Arthur has condemned offenders for taking away spaces for those with mobility issues.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said:

"Using a counterfeit blue badge or one belonging to someone else, whether it’s lost, stolen or that of a family member, is fraud. Doing so doesn’t just break the rules that everyone else adheres to, but it takes away much-needed spaces for those with mobility issues. It is a fundamentally selfish act.

"While it’s only a small minority of people that misuse blue badges, there’s still a problem. That’s why I hope the action being taken by our parking and fraud teams sends a clear message – blue badge fraud will not be tolerated.

"Working with parking contractors NSL, the Council plans to continue proactively clamping down on blue badge fraud to stop perpetrators abusing the parking system and to improve accessibility for those in genuine need of parking spaces."