Abuse of blue badges for disabled parking has increased for the fourth consecutive year, figures show.
The total number of suspected misused badges hit 1353 between April 2018 and April last year – up from 1180 in 2017/18.
Figures, released by council-owned City Parking, show there were 1041 suspected incidents in 2016/17 and 607 the year before that.
From April to September in 2019, 656 incidents were recorded.
“Blue badges are intended solely for people with disabilities to help ensure they can participate fully in the life of the city,” a city council spokesman said.
“Blue badge misuse prevents genuine badge holders from using dedicated parking spaces, stifles the availability of on-street parking bays and adds a further barrier to inclusion for people with disabilities.
“Tackling blue badge misuse is therefore an essential part of the effort to support the mobility of people with disabilities.
“Our parking attendants work closely with our anti-fraud specialists to identify instances where blue badges are being misused.
“Whenever we have robust and reliable information on blue badge misuse we will take the appropriate action.”
Enforcement officers uplifted 374 cars due to suspected misuse from April 2018 to April last year, an increase from 198 in 2017/18.
There have been 163 vehicles uplifted in the reported period, from April to September, so far this financial year.
Officers confiscated badges on 270 occasions between April and September and 479 times in 2018/19. This increased from 407 in 2018/19.
The council’s Operational Performance and Delivery Scrutiny Committee will discuss the figures on Wednesday.
