According to the Minister for Inclusion on Wednesday, a total of 190 counterfeit blue badges have been reported to the Commission for the Rights of Persons with a Disability since January 2022.
The blue badge is a legally issued document for drivers with severe and permanent mobility restrictions, granting them permission to park in designated reserved areas.
Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli stated that 108 fake blue badges were identified in 2022, and an additional 82 were flagged in the first half of 2023.
She highlighted that while forging blue badges is a punishable offence, the actual use of these badges is not. Therefore, legal amendments are being considered to address this issue.
Farrugia Portelli provided this response to a parliamentary question posed by Opposition MP Ivan Bartolo, who also inquired about the number of blue badges that have been revoked since 2020.
The minister stated that the commission had revoked 12 blue badges over the past three years.
Initially, the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability issued blue badges, but in 2022, the responsibility was transferred to Aġenzija Sapport.
As of last month, Aġenzija Sapport has issued more than 1,200 blue badges out of over 1,800 applications received.
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