Blue Badge driver slapped with £100 fine 'despite being clearly on display'

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A livid driver has been hit with a £110 fine for using a disabled parking spot, despite claiming to have displayed a Blue Badge.
Philip Davey has accused Havering Council of being "callous and cruel", after getting the ticket which he says has caused turmoil for his critically ill mother-in-law who is battling cancer, reports Express.co.uk.
On the night of January 20, the East Londoner from Elm Park found himself landed with a penalty notice while parked in Billet Lane car park, as he visited the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch.
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His assertion is that he had exhibited his mother-in-law's Blue Badge on the car dash, clear for everyone to see.
Yet, the citation stated that according to the traffic warden's "evidence taken", there was an absence of a time clock – a claim that Mr Davey refutes.
For some parking zones with time limitations, Blue Badge holders are obliged to display a clock showing their time of arrival.
Mr Davey said: "The Blue Badge was displayed, and I was parked in an appropriate manner in a disabled bay.
He continued: "Why would you want to harass and persecute an elderly person with cancer? I think it's very callous and cruel. It's scandalous – there's no two ways about it."
A stalwart resident of Havering for four decades, Mr Davey is now urging the council to rescind his fine.
Responding to the situation, a representative from the council mentioned that they'd be open to reassessing the appeal if further evidence was provided demonstrating adherence to the blue badge usage requirements.
They further stated: "The council offers its sympathies to the family at what must be a challenging time."

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03-06-2025

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There are increasing concerns the Blue Badge scheme for people with disabilities is both oversubscribed and 'shockingly' exploited as cases of misuse spiral in recent years. For every disabled parking bay in the UK, there are currently 52 permit holders, according to estimations in a new report published by This is based on almost 3.3million Blue Badge holders and just 63,000 parking spaces across the country. And demand for permits continues to rise with the rate of new applications increasing by 31 per cent between 2022 and 2024. In total, 1.3million new applications were made over the three-year period - and that's on top of the 1.5million renewal applications requested by existing holders. Of these 2.8million applications in total, just 245,566 - around 9 per cent - were rejected as the scheme continues to be overwhelmed. 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Two thirds said they are often left with no other option but to park in a standard-sized bay, which do not provide access for wheelchairs or to those with mobility issues, while two in five have been forced to drive elsewhere to find suitable parking provisions. Last month, the nation's parking trade association vowed to crackdown Blue Badge fraud having seen instances of misuse spiral. Instances of reported abuse of the scheme have grown from hundreds per year in 2016 to over 3,500 cases by 2023 in what the British Parking Association (BPA) called a blatant 'undermining of the integrity' of the scheme. Permit thefts are also becoming a bigger issue, with the number of Blue Badges stolen in London alone spiralling by 400 per cent between 2014 and 2023. Blue Badge misuse is deemed a criminal offence that could lead to a £1,000 fine and confiscation of the badge. It can also result in court prosecution, and legal action may also be taken in circumstances where false information has been provided to acquire a Blue Badge. Rhydian Jones, commercial director at said the study highlights that the 'system is struggling' due to an imbalance of permits versus parking spaces - and other drivers abusing the rules. 'It's clear that more needs to be done - both to increase the number of accessible bays and to prevent misuse,' he said. The British Parking Association has warned there is a 'serious and growing problem of fraud and abuse of the Blue Badge scheme' Borrowing Granny's badge... The range of permit abuse identified by National Blue Badge - an enforcement agency working on behalf of local authorities to identify misuse - between 2016 and 2023 included a range of issues, from intentional theft, organised fraud, producing and selling counterfeit badges online, and using deceased people's badges. However, the most common type of abuse is the often presumed 'innocent' act of 'borrowing Granny's badge' just for free and convenient parking. 'For every badge being misused, a space has been denied to a genuine badge holder, potentially preventing them from attending appointments, socialising and being able to get around independently,' the BPA said in its May report. It went on to call for local authorities and councils to be given greater ability and mechanisms to effectively tackle the issue and put a stop to this ongoing abuse. 'Perpetrators are currently not deterred by the limited consequences for their action,' the trade body said. The most common type of scheme abuse is the often presumed 'innocent' act of 'borrowing Granny's badge' just for free and convenient parking, the BPA said Alison Tooze, policy officer at the BPA, said: 'The statistics around the level of Blue Badge misuse and fraud are shocking. 'We cannot continue to ignore this issue, especially when the victims are some of the most vulnerable in our society. 'Badge holders rely on accessible parking to carry out their day-to-day activities and for many it is a vital part of living an independent life. 'Perpetrators of blue badge misuse and fraud deprive genuine badge holders of this right to freedom, whilst costing ordinary taxpayers millions every year. This must stop.' This is Money raised the statistics with the Department for Transport. A DfT spokesperson said: 'Exploitation of the Blue Badge scheme is completely unacceptable – it is a vital resource helping many people travel with confidence. 'We are supporting the police to tackle this issue by working closely with local authorities and have strengthened their powers to help them tackle fraud and misuse.'