new wording great news

dave030445

Getting back on topic as this seems to of gone way off (nothing new there)
Whats changed in the wording of the BB i thought thats what its all ways been

daska

Official advice c. May 2010

Dear Daska

Thank you for your email.

The rules are slightly different in England to the Blue Badge rules in Wales and Scotland . I suggest that you contact the authorities in Wales and Scotland for information on advice publications that they may have about the use of a Blue Badge.

The Blue Badge is for the direct use and benefit of the Blue Badge holder and therefore the advice given in the booklet on page 7 is that the badge and its concessions are just for the badge holder’s use. The parking regulations, attached, give the rules for using a Blue Badge to park and as you will see the badge holder must be present when parking the car or is being collected at the place where the car is parked. In some cases if a badge holder is remaining in the vehicles it may appear as if the have allowed an able bodied person parking concessions available only to them. It isn’t illegal for the Badge holder to remain the vehicle, however, if the Badge holder is not getting out of the car there isn’t a need to display the Blue Badge as the Blue Badge holder doesn’t need to park close to the destination as they do not need to get out of the car.

Please feel free to contact me on the advice line if you wish to discuss this further.


Kind regards

******
Blue Badge Advice Assistant
The Blue Badge advice line is provided by The Community Transport Association on behalf of the Department for Transport, Blue Badge Scheme Division.

CTA
Highbank
Halton Street
Hyde
SK14 2NY
Tel: 0161 367 0009
Fax: 0870 774 3581

New rule quoted by pwales (on loads of council websites):

It is a criminal offence to drive a vehicle displaying a Blue Badge unless the badge holder is in the vehicle, or the vehicle is being driven by someone other than the badge holder for the purpose of entering or leaving an area (which is accessible only to vehicles displaying a Blue Badge) in order to pick up or drop off the holder.

Though interestingly, if you search the DFT website they don't appear to know about this change except as a recommendation in the final report?. The Blue Badge leaflet (see p.8) still says:

You should not use the badge to allow non-disabled people
to take advantage of the benefits while you sit in the car.
Although it is not illegal for a badge holder, or a non-disabled
person waiting for the badge holder to return, to remain in the
vehicle while the Blue Badge is displayed, consideration should
be given to using a car park whenever possible.

pwales_2

daska wrote: »

Official advice c. May 2010



New rule quoted by pwales (on loads of council websites):



Though interestingly, if you search the DFT website they don't appear to know about this change except as a recommendation in the final report?. The Blue Badge leaflet (see p.8) still says:

so has wales and england got different rules or are local councils setting there own new rules?
this could get confusing
this should be the same across the country , or it aint gonna work

edit i was told new rules from this april for blue badges and given there site for full info on new rules thats is what i quoted

daska

It certainly used to be different in Wales to England as per this 'blue badge argument' thread.

and the direct.gov site still links to the old rules and doesn't provide any details of recent legislation amending the regulations from 2000 or 2007.

and the document detailing the changes doesn't mention anything about this

so where have these new rules come from? if they are criminal offences then where's the legislation that makes them criminal?

Savvy_Sue

daska wrote: »

if they are criminal offences then where's the legislation that makes them criminal?

I wondered that too when I read your original post about it!

I dare say some of you keep your BB in the car, possibly even on display for convenience (possibly with some security gadget to keep it safe!) How can it be a criminal offence just to DRIVE with the BB on display?

A literal reading of what you posted earlier:

It is a criminal offence to drive a vehicle displaying a Blue Badge unless the badge holder is in the vehicle, or the vehicle is being driven by someone other than the badge holder for the purpose of entering or leaving an area (which is accessible only to vehicles displaying a Blue Badge) in order to pick up or drop off the holder.

means that you'd have to hide the BB, stop at the edge of the 'accessible' area, get out the BB, and then reverse the situation on leaving!

daska

Sorry, forgot to mention that the rules in central London (Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, City and Camden) are different as well - you can't park on yellow lines there at all, only in special bays.

dave030445

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I wondered that too when I read your original post about it!

I dare say some of you keep your BB in the car, possibly even on display for convenience (possibly with some security gadget to keep it safe!) How can it be a criminal offence just to DRIVE with the BB on display?

A literal reading of what you posted earlier:
means that you'd have to hide the BB, stop at the edge of the 'accessible' area, get out the BB, and then reverse the situation on leaving!

You shouldn't leave your badge on display all the time ie when driving it does stat that it must be removed from view when not being used.

daska

dave030445 wrote: »

You shouldn't leave your badge on display all the time ie when driving it does stat that it must be removed from view when not being used.

Just read through "The Blue Badge scheme: rights and responsibilities in England" and can't find a rule that says it must be removed from view. Only that "It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park nearby for your beneit." Which is the opposite of not being allowed to display it when driving.

pwales_2

so where are all the councils in Wales getting there wording from (which i was directed to and quoted direct from there site)?
i know the welsh assembly can make new low level rules laws locally.
is this one of them?

no wonder people are confused by the rules if you do one thing in Bristol cross the bridge then get a bollocking from traffic warden.

but on the other side to this i hope the ruling in Wales has been done properly and legal .
as i think the ruling should apply nationally, no waiting anywhere.

dave030445

daska wrote: »

Just read through "The Blue Badge scheme: rights and responsibilities in England" and can't find a rule that says it must be removed from view. Only that "It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park nearby for your beneit." Which is the opposite of not being allowed to display it when driving.

your right i cant see it either on the web site but it is in the blue badge handbook that you get with you blue badge it stats it must not be displayed unless you are using it directly