Abuse of the Blue Badge system is driving me mad

We’ve all seen it, stared open-mouthed in disgust and then promptly done nothing about it.

Inappropriate use of a disabled parking badge is one of those things that, quite rightly, drives most of us mad.

I have worked with someone, not in Express Towers I hasten to add, who had a close family relative quite rightly entitled to a Blue Badge.

It was in my colleague’s car for use when his relative needed it – not for his own personal use whenever he just could not be bothered to drive around looking for an appropriate parking place.

My own mother is entitled to a Blue Badge.

When she comes to visit, she brings it with her and when we go out in my car we use it in accordance with the rules and regulations.

And one of those is that I am not entitled to park in a disabled bay or on double yellow lines to nip into a shop for an emergency bottle of wine while leaving her in the car.

The side street outside Express Towers is a daily clutter of people using their Blue Badges.

And on a recent check, half the cars had the passenger inside while the not-very-disabled driver went to the bank or performed some other errand.

Punishments and prosecutions for using a Blue Badge to which you are not entitled seem to be very few and far between.

Parking tickets for those over-staying their 40 minute welcome in and around the town centre are not, as I know to my own personal cost.

So is it time something more serious was done to these people who are abusing a privilege which is not even their privilege to abuse?

Tickets for people using disabled parking bays or Blue Badges they are not entitled to while nipping for a burger?

I should think that was about right.

On the other hand, if it is good enough for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, why should we not all be entitled to have a go?