Ealing Council has issued over 9,000 fines to drivers for parking in disabled bays without displaying a valid Blue Badge over the last six years.
Data obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Evans Halshaw reveals that Ealing Council issued 9,072 fines between 2019 and 2024, generating a total of £450,607.86 in penalties for Blue Badge misuse.
The number of fines fluctuated during the six-year period but rose sharply in 2024. In 2019, the council issued 1,347 fines worth £65,466.64. That figure dropped by almost a quarter in 2020, when 1,028 fines brought in £48,187 — a decline linked to reduced vehicle use during pandemic lockdowns. Numbers began climbing again from 2021, with 1,117 fines (£59,624.31), rising to 1,446 in 2022 (£67,772.31) and 1,493 in 2023 (£73,543.21).
The steepest jump came in 2024, when 2,641 fines were issued, generating £136,014.40, marking a 76.8% increase on the previous year
Council records also show that 788 vehicles were fined more than once over the six years, with repeat offences peaking at 220 in 2024.
Some streets emerged as particular hotspots. Townsend Road in Southall recorded the highest number of fines with 666, followed by Acton Lane (W3) with 602 and High Street (W5) with 375. Other problem areas included Greenford Road in Greenford, The Green in Southall, and Herbert Road in Southall
Julie Wallman, Divisional Marketing Director at Evans Halshaw, said: “Disabled parking bays exist to ensure safe and accessible travel for people with limited mobility. When drivers use these spaces without a Blue Badge, it reduces availability for those who genuinely need them.”
An Ealing Council spokesperson told EALING.NEWS that the rise in fines followed a change in how parking enforcement is managed: “There has been an increase in fines after we moved our enforcement services to Greener Ealing in April 2024, where we are checking parking spaces designated for disabled people.
“In addition, our enforcement officers now have the ability to check the validity of disabled badges, resulting in referrals being made, and we also have dedicated fraud officers working across the borough to tackle Blue Badge fraud where our legal team prosecutes offenders.”
