Nine Blue Badges are seized as council cracks down on misuse

Hundreds of Blue Badges were checked across Bath and North East Somerset during a week of action aimed at tackling misuse and protecting parking access for disabled motorists.

An officer checking a Blue Badge | Photo courtesy of B&NES Council

Bath & North East Somerset Council joined 56 other local authorities in the campaign, which was designed to identify wrongly used badges and help keep protected parking spaces available for the people who genuinely need them.

During the operation, the council’s Civil Enforcement Officers carried out 559 vehicle checks, supported by its partner OneWest.

The local authority said the overwhelming majority of Blue Badges were being used properly, but a number of cases of misuse were found and nine badges were seized.

Councillor Joel Hirst, cabinet member for sustainable transport strategy, said: “Blue Badges are a brilliant scheme, and we want to make sure it is not being abused.

“We have taken part in this campaign now for five years in a row to help protect Blue Badge holders and their parking bays by tackling misuse, which takes away parking and access to our places for those that really need it.

“It’s fantastic to see the vast majority of Blue Badges are being used correctly again this year, and although misuse of badges is rare it is of course something our Civil Enforcement Officers are out checking for every day, and a week of concentrated enforcement like this can really help make a difference and protect these spaces for those that really need it.”

Blue Badges allow people with disabilities or health conditions to park closer to where they need to go, helping them access services and facilities more easily.

The council said examples of misuse include using a badge when the holder is not in the vehicle, using a badge belonging to someone who has died, or displaying an expired badge.

Bath & North East Somerset Council said it provides a range of accessible parking options across the area, including free all-day parking for Blue Badge holders at on-street pay and display spaces and in resident permit holder bays.