A mum who used her son’s blue badge so she could park for free and visit a restaurant in Windsor with a friend (without her son) was fined by magistrates for misuse.
Abida Ahmed was legitimately issued a blue badge for her son and was permitted to use it when she was travelling with him. However, the 46-year-old parked in a disabled bay and displayed a blue badge before getting out of her car without her son.
The case was prosecuted and dealt with at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday 10 December.
Abida Ahmed, of Mildenhall Road, Slough, was convicted in her absence at Reading Magistrates’ Court of misusing her son’s disability blue badge on 14 May to park in a disabled bay in Thames Street, Windsor, while visiting the Giggling Squid with a friend. She did not attend the hearing as required, so the case was proved in her absence. She was fined £440, ordered to pay a Victim Surcharge of £44 and prosecution costs of £350 within 28 days.
Cllr Beni Bains, cabinet member for Regulation and Public Protection, said: “Blue Badges are for some of the most vulnerable members of society to allow them easier and more convenient access, they are not for abuse by family members to obtain free or close parking when the holder of the Blue Badge is not in the vehicle.
“I hope this fine will serve as a warning to others to not abuse Blue Badges and to be more considerate to others by not misusing a space that another badge holder could be using.”