Prosecution Data 2024
The department for transport stopped collecting data on blue badge enforcement in 2021. Even when they did collect data, they carried out a survey of “issuing” rather than “enforcement” authorities. Clearly, some authorities that issue badges are not the people who enforced the scheme. For example Kent County Council issue badges but Canterbury City Council are the highway authority in Canterbury. So we accept the data was always incomplete. The second problem with the 2021 DfT data is that it only collected data on prosecution. A prosecution is not the only remedy to the misuse of a Blue Badge. Other remedies could include a formal caution or even a warning letter. This data was not collected.
That said the 2021 data showed the total number of prosecutions to be 698. Of those 698 prosecutions 567 were carried out by 10 authorities out of a sample of over 160 authorities, the majority of which are enforcement authorities. Three authorities carried out 314 of those prosecutions. Only 14 authorities in England prosecuted 10 or more people.
The 2023-24 Data published by The National Agency for Blue Badge Fraud Investigation is significantly more positive. The data shows a 44% increase in prosecutions to 1,245 during the 2023-24 year with an increase to 18 authorities prosecuting 10 or more people. In order to make the survey comparable to the 2021 data the same authorities (issuing or enforcement) were asked the same questions. The data further shows this is not a “London problem” and it’s not only being tackled by London Authorities. The news might be the names not on the list but we hope to see this change in the next year.
Going forward BBFI plan to focus on enforcement rather than issuing authorities and ask a broader question about enforcement activities are not just prosecutions.
Local Authority |
All prosecutions for abuse of Blue Badge system |
Portsmouth |
7 |
Westminster |
7 |
Enfield |
7 |
Norfolk |
8 |
Buckinghamshire |
8 |
Kensington and Chelsea |
14 |
Wandsworth |
16 |
Bexley |
18 |
Brent |
23 |
Nottingham |
28 |
Dudley |
33 |
Ealing |
41 |
Redbridge |
46 |
Brighton and Hove |
48 |
Barking and Dagenham |
51 |
Leeds |
53 |
Kirklees |
53 |
Bromley |
61 |
Hammersmith and Fulham |
112 |
Manchester |
122 |
Lambeth |
124 |
Waltham Forest |
147 |
Birmingham |
175 |