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Motorists face hefty £1,000 parking charges (Image: Getty)
Motorists may be forced to pay a £1,000 fine for making a simple parking error as part of a new crackdown welcomed by Labour.
Road users found stopping in a disabled parking space without a valid Blue Badge sticker may be affected with misuse set to backfire.
Blue Badges are required to leave vehicles in disabled bays often situated close to shops, amenities and attractions.
However, an eye-whopping 1,000 drivers in just one local authority have been caught using the disabled bays despite not having the correct entitlements.
A new Freedom of Information Act request shows 981 Penalty Charge Notices were given out for on-street parking violations in Cumberland Council.
Motorists must never misuse a Blue Badge (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, a further 210 fines were handed out for offences in car parks.
This raked in an extra £6,615 in fines over the calendar year with motorists forced to pay out for breaking the rules.,
Cumberland Council stressed that road users could be fined up to £1,000 for breaching a range of rules.
Someone using a badge when they are not disabled is the least of their problems with a range of other factors also at play.
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Motorists can still face penalties for bringing a disabled passenger along just to make use of the extra parking freeform.
Cumberland Council explained: “We take these offences very seriously and will continue to be vigilant in making our checks with a view to stamping out misuse.
“Abuse and fraudulent use of Blue Badges undermines public confidence in the scheme and means that fewer spaces are available for those using their valid badges correctly.”
Cumberland isn't the only council charging for Blue Badge misuse with motorists across the whole breadth of the country at risk.
The National Agency for Blue Badge Fraud Investigations (BBFI) suggested the problem may be more widespread.
The group estimated that 1 in 5 badges are being used by someone other than the badge holder.
Earlier this year, Prince Minister Keri Starmer called for local authorities to “tackle fraud and misuse”/
He explained: “Look, theft of a Blue Badge is appalling.
“Depriving people of their independence and ability to travel with confidence has a real human impact every single time, and that’s why we’re working closely with local authorities to help them tackle fraud and misuse.”
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