New Blue Badge passes are to be issued in a tamper-proof laminated casing, the Department for Transport reports.
It’s part of an effort to combat abuse of the parking concession for people with disabilities.
The laminated cover means that any attempt to manipulate the details contained on the badge will leave permanent damage making it immediately obvious that the badge has been tampered with.
This change builds on other anti-fraud measures announced in October 2007 such as a new hologram on the badge and a gender-specific serial number to aid parking enforcement.
Transport Minister Rosie Winterton announced the new measure during a speech to the British Parking Association, where she called upon local authority parking services to step-up efforts to reduce theft, forgery and misuse of the scheme. Referring to Councils who have shown genuine leadership in tackling cheats she said:
"We need to be proactive about tackling Blue Badge abuse. That is why I have been extremely impressed with the work of the surveillance teams in Wandsworth, Manchester and Liverpool, for example, who actively pursue and prosecute serial misusers and target ‘hot spots’ such as parking at football matches.
"Through a mix of protective and enforcement measures we can make a big difference not only to how the scheme is used but also how it is respected by the wider community."
