Action urged on those using disabled parking
Tuesday, 10 June 2008 12:01 AM
Action should be taken against able-bodied people who park on disabled parking bays, a committee of MPs has said.
The transport committee found the only national company which consistently fined people abusing its disabled bays was Asda.
The MPs called on the government to find out whether those car park operators who fail to enforce the use of disabled bays are fully complying with the Disability Discrimination Act, raising the possibility of future legal battles over the issue.
MPs found standards of disabled parking varied wildly across the country, with some areas offering far greater resources than others.
Disabled parking is currently run under a Blue Badge scheme, in which people can apply for the badges which are then displayed in the car windscreen.
But the committee found many able-bodied people were using the badges as well, either with or without the knowledge of the person to whom they were issued. It called for those who use stolen badges to have their vehicles impounded and their names placed on a national database.
Transport committee chair Louise Ellman said: "There must be greater consistency in the way in which the eligibility criteria for blue badges are applied across the country, and those who use stolen badges must face the consequences.
"This is a fundamental matter of fairness."
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