FOCUS ON SCOTLAND
BLUE BADGE FRAUD
Cracking down on Blue Badge fraud can be tougher in Scotland than in England and Wales.
In Scotland, parking attendants need a police officer present to seize a badge or gather enough evidence to go to court for a suspected case of blue badge fraud, but in other parts of the UK, under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, a single investigator can present the necessary evidence. Gordon Catchlove, who is Scotland’s only parking fraud prevention officer, works relentlessly to pin down bogus badge users. He served in the British army for 22 years as a police officer on postings all over the world. But, since starting his job in Edinburgh in 2005, he’s really got tough. He’s helped secure 30 prosecutions of bogus badge users, who are then fined. But he has his work cut out. He believes up to 70 per cent of blue badges on display in Edinburgh are not used
by their rightful owner, costing the city an estimated £5,700 per badge per year in parking fees and tax.
But in the other 30 local authority areas in Scotland, blue badge fraudsters have less to fear.
Catchlove says: ‘In other areas the harshest form of discipline misusers will get if they’re found out is a letter saying your badge was seen being misused, don’t do it again.’ He is hopeful the new blue badge being rolled out across the UK with state-of-the-art technology, which makes it harder to copy, will help cut down on fraud. But it’s only part of the solution.
Catchlove says: ‘There are companies out there who say the new blue badge will stop misuse overnight but it can’t. ‘What it can stop is the copying and defrauding. A blue badge is a blue badge. You’ll never stop people trying to take advantage of it entirely.’
Catchlove says: ‘Blue badge holders know they’ll get parked right by the entrance to Ninewells Hospital. It’s a benefit which makes the charge worth it.’
Three-hour limit
Catchlove would like to see Scotland come in line with England and introduce a three-hour time limit for Blue Badge holders parking on double or single yellow lines.
Catchlove says: ‘In Scotland, Blue Badge holders can park on a single yellow line where there’s no restriction in place 24/7, which leads to issues.
ABOUT the AUTHOR: Lisa Adams is a freelance journalist, based in Scotland.
‘Double yellow lines are there for a reason, frequently a safety reason, and their locations are thought through very carefully. Of course there are some people who may need to park at the closest place to their work or a shopping area, but there must be a better way. If we remove double and single yellow line parking, do we need to introduce other areas to accommodate these drivers?’ The Disabled Person Parking Places Act in Scotland means on-street disabled bays are now mandatory, but Catchlove would like to see the law extended to encompass supermarket car parks, too.
Scotland’s capital city, where parking space is at a premium, presents some unique
32 JULY 2012
challenges. Edinburgh’s £776m tram project, due for completion by summer 2014, means the squeeze on street parking is even tougher. With Princes Street blocked off to traffic altogether and nearby George Street taking the traffic strain instead, many of the short-term parking spaces, which were once available, have disappeared.
In the summer, when the population triples around Edinburgh Festival time, there are numerous complaints from residents who have a parking permit but are still unable to find a space.
One solution for all problems Catchlove says: ‘The life of a parking manager is a very fine balancing act. The aim is to try to find a solution that suits everyone, but I don’t think that will ever happen, unfortunately. Yes, we could possibly put in more residents’ spaces and take away paid parking, but that would then have an effect on city centre businesses who expect people to come in, park, pay and go shopping. ‘Edinburgh is a busy, cultural city, which thrives on tourism, both domestic and foreign. Tourists bring their cars and they all want to park somewhere. We direct businesses to off-street parking, which doesn’t bring us any revenue, but at least we’re bringing business to the city. It’s making things easy for people. ‘We’re not discouraging people. We’re saying yes, come in but take a look at the alternatives. Do you need to bring your car in? If you do there’s limited on-street parking, but there’s also major off-street car parks, which you might want to consider. We have park and rides as well. It’s just trying to encourage people to use all forms of transport.’ In Edinburgh alone, parking tickets earn the City Council more than £6m a year, which is later re-invested in helping to improve roads, public transport and make the city a better place to live. But many drivers forget that bigger picture when they get a ticket. Catchlove says: ‘People who get tickets see red. They don’t understand why. They don’t appreciate the bigger picture, which is that the parking attendants are doing a vital job in keeping traffic moving. They have to give everyone a fair bite of the apple. The pressure is on parking attendants to fulfill that role.’ In Scotland, decriminalised parking enforcement is implemented under the Road Traffic Act 1991 rather than the Traffic Management Act 2004, which now covers England and Wales.
FEATURE
www.britishparking.co.uk
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