Download - Enforcement - Glasgow city council
REPORT ON BLUE BADGE ENFORCEMENTREPORT ON BLUE BADGE ENFORCEMENT
MICHAEL BRADY
ASSISTANT GROUP MANAGER
PARKING PROJECTS AND EVENTS
JUNE 2012
SUMMARYSUMMARY
This presentation will outline the challenges that Glasgow City Council (GCC) has in terms of enforcing mis-use of Blue Badges.
It seeks to identify measures to improve the control regime to reduce the potential for mis-use.
Identify stakeholder engagement measures, to improve control and prevent mis-use, including the Police, Press and other agencies.
Will detail the results obtained by working together with Strathclyde Police to tackle mis-use.
Initiatives to help reduce mis-use of Blue Badges.
KEY FACTSKEY FACTS There are presently around 25,000 Blue Badges on issue in Glasgow.
Some 33% of all Badges on issue in Scotland, are issued within the Glasgow region
It is interesting to note that some Councils issue more discretionary badges
Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh 8,646 Automatic 13,183 Discretionary.
Glasgow 13,933 Automatic 9,460 Discretionary
There is an upward trend in the number of Badges being issued in Glasgow.
COST OF MIS-USECOST OF MIS-USE
The estimated level of mis-use in Glasgow is 27%
Glasgow City Centre has approximately 1100 Pay and Display Parking Bays
Surveys have shown that, in some areas, more that 50% of bays are occupied by vehicles displaying blue Badges
Resulting loss of income could be up to £450,000 per annum
MIS-USE RECORDED BY PA’SMIS-USE RECORDED BY PA’S
PA’s regularly complete alleged mis-use forms
These record details of actual or suspected mis-use
Monitoring over a period of 2 years shows that of 821 mis-use forms completed
663 Penalty Charge Notices were issued
315 of which were paid at discount
DIFFICULTIES IN ENFORCEMENTDIFFICULTIES IN ENFORCEMENT
A Parking Attendant must be on site when the vehicle is being parked or when the vehicle is about to leave an area
Information concerning the issue of the badge is not readily available to the Parking Attendant – should improve with BBIS
Police attendance on site not usually possible unless by prior arrangement and site specific
Fragmented approach to what we do with information concerning abuse of the scheme – should improve with BBIS
It appears to be socially acceptable to use a badge when not entitled
BLUE BADGE OPERATIONSBLUE BADGE OPERATIONS
Regularly liaise with Strathclyde Police – Blue Badge ‘Sting’ Operations
Use intelligence gathered by PA’s to identify key locations where mis-use is most prevalent
PA’s and Police work in conjunction to identify mis-use
Negotiate ‘dedicated’ Policing resource as part of the Community Policing Partnership-leading with impact report
RESULTSRESULTS
12 Blue Badge ‘Stings’ over 2 year period
192 Vehicles approached
51 Drivers charged and reported to the Procurator Fiscal
Reduction in Blue Badge parking following operations
BEFORE ‘STING’ OPERATION - MILLER BEFORE ‘STING’ OPERATION - MILLER STREETSTREET
AFTER ‘STING’ OPERATION - SPOT THE AFTER ‘STING’ OPERATION - SPOT THE DIFFERENCE!DIFFERENCE!
DESIGNATED DISABLED BAYSDESIGNATED DISABLED BAYS- NORMALLY FULLY OCCUPIED- NORMALLY FULLY OCCUPIED
ENFORCEMENT-THE WAY FORWARDENFORCEMENT-THE WAY FORWARD Have less ambiguous powers of inspection with PA’s being
permitted to seize Badges (2013).
Instant information about the issue of the badge at the time of inspection by the Parking Attendant – BBIS National Database System
The current concession of free parking throughout the city/country needs to be discussed.
More public awareness concerning the abuse of the Disabled Badge Scheme
Improved relations between legitimate Badge holders and enforcement agencies
Improved public awareness and education of the scheme and it’s aims
RECOMENDATIONSRECOMENDATIONS Education:
implement educational campaigns at school level in the style of anti smoking, anti drink driving and seatbelt campaigns - make Blue Badge mis-use socially and morally unacceptable as well as other dedicated bays
Wider Public - Employees:Targeted campaigns – use GCC’s Internet and Intranet services – the Glasgow and Insider Magazines - Employee Pay Portal – advise of consequences of mis-use
Advertising:Promote awareness of the impact of Blue Badge mis-use – posters on the side of GCC’s vehicles, in car parks and in bus shelters
Decriminalisation Decimalisation of the Offence of Mis Use
CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION Need to tackle Blue Badge mis-use
The free parking element should be discussed
New BBIS database must be updated, maintained, with any instances of mis-use being accurately recorded
PA’s given powers to seize mis-used Blue Badges
Look at providing education at an early age to the consequences of people mis-using the blue badge (pester power).