Driver fined for misuse of disabled parking badge

A driver who used a disabled parking badge which did not belong to him was fined a total of £300 and ordered to pay £450 costs and a £20 victim surcharge  by Eastbourne magistrates (January 16).

Lukasz Galinski, of Middle Road, Shoreham, West Sussex, admitted three charges of using a blue badge without authority.

Len Batten, prosecuting on behalf of Brighton & Hove City Council, told the court the owner of the blue badge reported it lost last July and the badge was cancelled.

Parking attendants subsequently saw the badge displayed on Mr Galinski’s vehicle on three separate occasions in Brighton & Hove.  Each time he was issued a penalty charge notice because the badge was invalid – and he unsuccessfully tried to appeal against two of the parking tickets.

When police confiscated the blue badge he told them he had found it in the street.

Councillor Ian Davey, Brighton & Hove City Council’s lead member for transport, said: “The blue badge scheme is intended to make sure parking spaces are there for people who genuinely need them.

“Disabled people rely on blue badges to enable them to get out and about easily, and we are stepping up action and working with Sussex Police and East Sussex County Council to crackdown on misuse of blue badges.”

The council recently secured £183,000 of Government funding to crackdown on misuse of blue badges and free up spaces for disabled people. http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/press-release/council-wins-funding-tackle-blue-badge-fraud

Further information:

Brighton & Hove City Council press office 01273 291035/293033