Persistent parking permit cheats face being dragged to court after a professional fraud investigator was put on the case.
David Bell has impressed Aberdeen City Council bosses with his success in hunting down drivers who abuse disabled blue badges.
Dozens of files have been sent to prosecutors since he was brought in to lead the fight less than two years ago – and 91 badges seized.
Huge rise in number of blue badge cheats being caught and convicted
Now he has been given licence to extend his eagle eye more widely to include standard domestic and business permits.
The expansion of his remit was endorsed by the authority’s communities, housing and infrastructure committee last night.
It is the brainchild of Independent councillor Jennifer Stewart who said she had received multiple complaints of breaches.
There are more than 13,000 in use across the Granite City but little or no action has been taken until now over misuse beyond warning letters.
A senior roads officer told the meeting they would now be “setting up investigations as we do with blue badge fraud under the Road Traffic and reporting to the Procurator Fiscal.
“The two types of fraud are similar and that’s why they lend themselves so well to being investigated.”
Asked if drivers could face charges and fines or jail, he said: “Yes, that’s correct.
“Based on the investigation and the evidence that goes to the procurator fiscal, they would ultimately decide what level to set the fine at.”
Ms Stewart said: “This is very helpful because it does bring a further legitimacy to residents’ parking.
“Residents often say to me that they have to pay to park and yet others don’t so this gives them a further degree of confidence in the system.”
The council hopes the system will also become harder to cheat if they move to an electronic system.
Officers are examining available technologies including virtual permits and are expected to draw up more detailed plans by the autumn.
Inspectors will tackle abuses such as permits being used in the wrong car or businesses using residential permits.
They will also investigate allegations of people supplying false details to get a permit in the first place and fakes and forgeries.
The council said the extra workload “ought not to adversely impact upon the core function of the role” in tackling blue badge fraud.
