Cabbie fined for blue badge fraud

Friday April 30, 2010

A dodgy cabbie has been slapped with the maximum £1,000 fine after being caught using his disabled mum’s blue badge in a botched attempt to park his mini cab for free.

Mr Nazir Akhtar, of Oak Tree Cars in Du Cane Road, was convicted of misusing a disabled person’s blue badge at West London Magistrates Court last week. On top of the £1,000 fine Aktar was ordered to pay the council’s court costs of £1,527.

Following a tip-off from council enforcement officers, Aktar was caught parking his mini cab in a pay and display bay in Wulfstan Street W12 last summer.

Instead of paying £1.80 to park his Toyota he tried to dodge the fee by using his mother’s blue badge – which is designed to allow her, as a genuinely disabled person, to park for free.

When Police and council investigators spotted the blue badge in a mini-cab they became suspicious and tried to find out where the badge holder – Mrs Akhtar – was. Mr Akhtar’s explanation was that the badge holder was a five minute drive away. However, even though he was aware the officers were waiting at his office, and stayed for more than an hour, she failed to turn up.

Nigel Pallace, H&F Council Director of Environment, says: “Blue badge parking exists to help disabled residents to get out and about. It is not there to help selfish individuals to get a free parking space at everybody else’s expense. You can’t just take your mum’s badge to park your mini-cab wherever you want.”

Akhtar was hauled before magistrates where District Judge Andrew Sweet indicated that his deceit was so serious that he would have fined him more if the rules allowed.

Amanda Roles, from Hammersmith & Fulham Mencap, added: “I am glad that the Judge has fined this individual the maximum amount possible. Many physically and learning disabled people get angry when they see someone misusing a blue badge for personal gain and will hope that this fine acts as a deterrent to other cheats.”

Mr Pallace added: “Blue badge cheats who block up bays for their own selfish reasons restrict the ability of disabled drivers to enjoy their independence. They also take up spaces which permit-holding residents cannot use. We are pursuing the cheats all the way to the courts and are seeking and achieving the maximum fines possible.”