Exclusive: New bid to stop thieves stealing disabled drivers' blue badges
EXCLUSIVE
By Gareth Davies
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TARGETED: Mona Mukerji with her husband Shoshi (left) and friend Emmanuel Gill who have had their blue badges stolen Photo No: CCRst100310i0006 by Simon Turnbull
gareth.davies@essnmedia.co.uk
A new disabled parking permit is to be introduced to stop heartless thieves from targeting some of the most vulnerable people in Croydon.
Hundreds of cars across the borough are broken into each year by criminals aiming to steal valuable blue badges, which allow disabled drivers to park for free.
The permits are then sold on a thriving black market and can fetch up to £100 in unscrupulous garages and pubs.
The blue badges are sought after because the information they display is not specific to the car they are in – meaning fraudsters can easily avoid paying parking charges.
The crime leaves a disabled driver without a permit for up to two weeks and a bill for hundreds of pounds to fix broken car windows.
As a result of growing concern the council is to introduce new permits which will be useless to the thieves and their customers.
From March 29 anyone with a blue badge will be able to trade it in for a new "companion badge".
This vehicle specific permit - which has the car's registration number on the front - means disabled residents will no longer need to display blue badges in parked cars.
Blue badge holders will have to pay a £5 administration charge for the new permit, but the council hopes most disabled drivers will see its benefits.
Phil Thomas, cabinet member for the environment and highways, says the council is also looking into the possibility of creating a team of officers dedicated to combating blue badge fraud.
He said: "Stealing blue badges deliberately targets the disabled and vulnerable.
"We have had a growing number of complaints from residents about fake permits and about how easy they are to steal.
"The main problem is that currently the badges don't feature the owner's registration number.
"I think making the badges more personalised means they are less open to abuse and will help us reduce this despicable crime."
Croydon North MP Malcolm Wicks has backed the introduction of measures to combat the problem after being approached by constituents about the problem.
He said: "At the moment too many people are profiting from using blue badges as criminal currency."
*To read the stories of the pensioners pictured here, who have had their blue badges stolen see this week's Croydon Advertiser, in shops now
17 Comments
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by me, croydon
Thursday, March 18 2010, 2:28AM
“Mark, Croydon
I think you need culling, and other men like you...idiot”
by Mr.Angry, The Estate
Monday, March 15 2010, 11:08AM
“Stealing disabled stickers is not far of what some stasi parking wardens use as similar tactics to secure a questionable fine.”
by Tom, Local
Monday, March 15 2010, 8:30AM
“Mrs P.,
I think you just happened to come across an ignorant, bad-tempered old git. There's a few of them about.”
by Mrs P, Thornton Heath
Sunday, March 14 2010, 7:02PM
“I had an argument with a Blue Badge holder a few weeks back.
I was in Sainsburys Purley Way when I tried to park in a Mother & Baby spot (I was with my 4 year old). I'd noticed a car stalling, but didn't see any children in it and continued to park. When I was parallel in the spot the pensioner started to berate ME, waving his blue badge about!
I told him it was a Mother and Baby spot, while pointing out the numerous disabled spots available. Another motorist got involved, telling him I was perfectly entitled to park where I had, resulting with HIM also being hit with a barrage of abuse!
I understand the need for disabled parking, but it grates when most of these spaces are empty and parents are having to park in smaller bays, making it difficult to open the car door wide enough to strap the child into its seat. Maybe we should be allowed to share?”
by xcv, South Croydon
Sunday, March 14 2010, 1:41AM
“Sigh.
The existing blue badge is in the name of the person entitled to it. It already has their photograph on it, but because there are nasty scroats around that would look out for an easy target to mug, the photo is on the reverse where it can be checked by a parking bod.
The badge is designed so whether the disabled person has a car themself or not, they can benefit from not having to walk so far.
The applicant has to provide considerable proof of entitlement to the council in order to receive a blue badge. They are usually only valid for as long as the period of DLA, which can be only 2 years.
To introduce another badge, not valid anywhere else (and possibly not accepted anywhere else in the country/Europe) and have the gall to charge a fiver for it, is one of the most pointless ideas I've heard in a long time, and can only be for the purposes of making money from their issue and subsequent parking tickets for not having both types of badge.”