Examination of Witnesses (Questions 60
- 63)
WEDNESDAY 7 DECEMBER 2005
MR KEITH
BANBURY, MS
LYNN WITHAM,
MR PETER
GUEST, MR
BOB MACNAUGHTON
AND MR
IAN KAVANAGH
Q60 Mr Martlew: Just a point about
the blue badge scheme, that there is a lot of problems. Do you
actually have to deal with those problems?
Mr Banbury: Not us, but our members
certainly do. The main problem they have with the blue badge is
the abuse of it, which is something we have mentioned, and that
is a real problem which I think is not for us to tackle, it is
for somebody else to tackle.
Q61 Mr Martlew: Who is it who should
tackle it?
Mr Banbury: Well, government in
a sense. The reasons why people receive blue badges needs to be
reviewed and discussed so that those who need it get it, because
we have had examples of people who are using the blue badges of
people who are dead and there has been an exercise in Liverpool
which has turned up quite a number of these. This is just unreasonable
and unacceptable.
Q62 Mr Martlew: What is the penalty
for that?
Mr Guest: With the situation in
Liverpool, where there has been a particular problem with counterfeit
badges, the City Council has undertaken an initiative with the
Police where the motorists are being prosecuted under the criminal
law. They are not being dealt with as people who have committed
parking offences, they are being prosecuted under the criminal
law. I think that is a work in progress. It is having an effect.
It is taking these counterfeit badges off the streets and it is
giving criminal records to the people who are using them. I am
not aware of the exact purpose of the prosecution. I think it
is obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception, but I am not
quite sure.
Q63 Chairman: Just finally, Mr Macnaughton,
as the leading supplier of parking attendants do you think it
is a good principle to take on a wider street warden role?
Mr Macnaughton: I think it can
improve the perception of the service, but I think the authorities
who are doing this are generally doing this as a parallel service.
There are aspects of the parking attendant's job which can be
broadened, but if you are talking about moving into some of the
sort of street ranger-type activities, dealing with graffiti,
litter and other activities then really that effectively needs
to be delivered by a parallel agency. These are together, but
the parking attendant probably needs to focus on parking enforcement.
Chairman: I think if we are going into
parallel universes, it is probably a good moment to stop! Lady
and gentlemen, thank you very much for your evidence. I am very
grateful to you.
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