Issuance of reserved parking spaced for blue badge holders peaked in the run up to the 2022 general election when close to 1,500 permits were issued. Moreover, most of these permits were not granted for community use – i.e. available for all blue bade holders – but for the benefit of individual blue badge holders who requested a reserved parking space outside their residence.

Data tabled recently in parliament shows that in 2022 alone 717 permits were issued of which 595 were for personalised parking spaces. The yearly total is roughly double the amount issued in the first 10 months of this year.

In recent months this portal has received complaints that in certain areas personalised reserved parking for blue badge holder seemed to be mushrooming. The issue is proving to be a sore point in areas where parking spaces are very limited, fuelling questions on the merits being used to allocate this privilege. While there has been no concrete evidence that these permits were being handed out in exchange for votes, the sharp increase recorded in the election year has raised eyebrows. Furthermore, recent revelations that hundreds of fraudulent disability certificates have been issued in recent years, has raised questions whether some of these permits were issued on the strength of these fraudulent disability certificates.

The matter was recently raised in parliament by Opposition MP Darren Carabott who asked Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia a breakdown of the reserved parking spaces for disabled persons issued from 2018 onwards.  

According to the minister during the period under review 1,712 new permits were issued. However, when this portal analysed the data it turned out that the overall total across all localities stood at 2,892. This discrepancy was justified by the ministry on the grounds that 1,180 personalised permits had replaced older ones which were for community use). No explanation was given for this shift, but from the data it emerged that nowadays most of the permits being issued are personalised and not for the benefit of the entire community.

A further analysis of the data reveals that during the period under review (2018-2023) the highest number of permits were issued in 2022 (717), followed by 2021 (692), 2018 (655), 2019 (486) and 2023 (up to October 340).

Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of the permits issued were for personalised parking spaces, meaning they could not be used by other blue badge holders.  Such permits are sought by individuals who request having a reserved parking space outside their residence on the grounds of their disability status.   While it might not come as a surprise that the highest number of permits were issued in St Paul’s Bay and Birkirkara – two localities with the highest population – the fact that this has resulted in the ‘loss’ of around 190 parking spaces in each locality highlights how such privilege is coming at a cost to the residents whose parking options are being restricted further. Other localities where a relatively large number of permits were issued included Qormi (176), Sliema (130), Mosta (122), Paola (112) and Hamrun (103).