The great disabled parking rort could be coming to an end, with plans to introduce photo identification permits and compulsory production of medical certificates by applicants. The Daily Telegraph yesterday reveal that the disabled parking permit scheme was subject to wide-spread misuse. Transport Minister Carl Scully yesterday announced measures to close loopholes, including a photo of the permit holder on the licence. This means the new permits will be similar to driver's licence cards, which will make them more difficult to forge. As well, a medical certificate must be presented when people are applying for the permit at a motor registry. Mr Scully said motor registry staff were not qualified to make an assessment on whether someone was sufficiently disabled. The changes were expected to begin on September 1, after consultation with Privacy NSW, disability groups, councils and police. Mr Scully said, although he had been concerned about rorting for some time, he had been reluctant to act because he though this might reduce the ability of genuine applicants to get the permits. But after being presented with a submission from the Physical Disability Council of NSW just before Christmas which outlined the rorting, along with inquires from The Telegraph, he decided to act. "Young 20-somethings going out to lunch with a disabled permit is an outrage," he said. "Middle-aged stockbrokers going to the local gym with a disabled permit, maybe from a relative, is totally and utterly unacceptable. Source The Daily Telegraph 31 January 2003 ###