53 fake Blue Badges confiscated last year
More than 1,300 expired badges collected and 250 reports of abuse investigated
Some 53 fake Blue Badges were confiscated by the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) last year.
In a statement Monday, the Inclusion Ministry said the CRPD had also collected more than 1,300 expired badges that had not been returned and investigated more than 250 reports of abuse of blue badges and parking bays.
Blue Badges are legal documents allowing holders to park in communal reserved parking bays – demarcated with blue road markings – due to mobility issues or other disabilities.
The figures were presented in an annual report of the commission’s activities covering last year.
The commission received around 500 reports of alleged discrimination on the grounds of disability relating to education, employment, accessibility, goods and services and rights violations, the report said.
The CRPD led or participated in five European projects concerning disability and provided training to more than 3,600 people, it noted.
Commissioner Rhoda Garland said reports to the CRPD had increased by 29% compared to the previous year.
Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia said the “record number of reports of alleged discrimination clearly shows that more persons with disabilities and their families are becoming more aware of their rights”.
An educational campaign was launched Monday to raise awareness of how to avoid negatively affecting the lives of those with disabilities, she added.