Blue Badges & Parking

Be_Happy

Just a word of warning - apart from being more difficult to get a blue badge, rules on use of badge have changed.

OH has finally received his renewed blue badge, having had to wait for nearly a month past the expiry date of the old one. It comes with a new information booklet, which sets out regulations more clearly than previous issues.

One section seems to make a major change to use of badge ie when disabled person is the passenger, badge can only be used to drop of or pick up. Car cannot be left in a disabled space. Not sure how this can apply if the disabled person can't be left alone while the driver goes off to park the car!!

Exact wording says -

"If you are a passenger then a non disabled person can use it to drop you off or pick you up. Once assisted to your destination, you should remove your badge from the vehicle and the driver should make an appropriate parking payment or move the vehicle."

In another section on Misuse of a Blue Badge it states that misuse is an offence and may lead to a £1,000 fine. One of the common forms of misuse listed is -

"allowing family members or carers to use your badge when you are not with them to do something on your behalf, such as shopping or collecting something for you."

Another misuse listed is -

"allowing non disabled people to take benefit from your badge while you sit in the car".

Doesn't concern us as OH is the driver and I don't drive, but it would seem to affect a large percentage of disabled parking I have seen.

kurgon

Be_Happy wrote: »

"allowing non disabled people to take benefit from your badge while you sit in the car".
.

..wow...that one's going to ruffle a few feathers...

Ames

kurgon wrote: »

..wow...that one's going to ruffle a few feathers...

It used to drive my ex mad. If we went into town together, I'd have to finish my bits quicker than him, and I refused to wait in the car for him to finish. I'd end up driving round and round the loop road till he was done. It didn't help that he asked a traffic warden if I could sit in the car and he said yes.

Parva

Ames wrote: »

It used to drive my ex mad. If we went into town together, I'd have to finish my bits quicker than him, and I refused to wait in the car for him to finish. I'd end up driving round and round the loop road till he was done. It didn't help that he asked a traffic warden if I could sit in the car and he said yes.

As a fellow Leeds dweller and also in possession of a blue badge I heartily agree with you here. Now to be fair I do 'mildly' abuse my blue badge in that I am a whole right leg amputee (hemi-pelvectomy) and I often visit my local Morrisons store and sit in the car in the disabled spot whilst my daughter pops in for some shopping for me.

In mitigation, my daughter is heavily pregnant and there are always several cars not displaying badges so I feel slightly less bad at bending the rules a little. I do however feel somewhat more aggrieved when I can't even get a spot when I do go for the full shop with my son and have to make do with a narrow spot a much further distance away and find myself having to wiggle down the cars length to get into the chair knowing full well that many people are parked in both the disabled AND parent and toddler spots that shouldn't be (and yes, I will take one of these if I can).

I popped to Asda the other day and actually saw penalty notices stuck to screens and I think I've seen / heard that Asda has opened up their car parks to the public wardens? I sincerely hope this is the case and I truly hope that the other supermarkets follow suit!

As a sidenote, I have only been 'abusing' the disabled parking with my daughter for the last month or so as she is close to giving birth, it's not something I would normally do if I were not getting out of the car myself!

Ames

Which Asda? If it was Owlcoates they've been doing that for years. I got a ticket for parking in the disabled bay when my badge had expired (I was late getting the renewal in so was without one for a week or so). Most expensive loaf of bread I've ever bought!

Invalidation

If the car park is owned by Asda the Disabled areas are non enforceable as are all 'Fines' issued.
If its owned by the Council (as our local Asda car park is) then the disabled areas are enforceable

Parva

Ames wrote: »

Which Asda? If it was Owlcoates they've been doing that for years. I got a ticket for parking in the disabled bay when my badge had expired (I was late getting the renewal in so was without one for a week or so). Most expensive loaf of bread I've ever bought!

Yeah that's the one Ames, glad to see that regular wardens can issue fully enforceable tickets for this behavior (though not so in your case due to the expired badge, sorry). I do wish that other supermarkets could / would open up their land to the council run wardens rather than the private non-enforceable cowboys (if they even have them, Morrisons appear to have none).

mazza111

I've seen me and my dd going into the docs at the same time and her being finished first, so goes to the car to wait for me(her being the badge holder). Guess that could be counted as abuse too. Although, she can't drive, so wouldn't be able to move the car I wonder what they would do in situations like that.... Maybe I should tell her to wait in the surgery for me, just in case.

BobQ

Be_Happy wrote: »

Just a word of warning - apart from being more difficult to get a blue badge, rules on use of badge have changed.


One section seems to make a major change to use of badge ie when disabled person is the passenger, badge can only be used to drop of or pick up. Car cannot be left in a disabled space. Not sure how this can apply if the disabled person can't be left alone while the driver goes off to park the car!!

You may be quoting from the Scotland version?

The English version states:
"
The badge is for your use and benefit only. 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 at the place where you are being collected or dropped.Do not allow other people to use the badge to do something on your behalf, such as shopping or collecting something for you, unless you are travelling with them[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman][FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman].
• You must never give the badge to friends or family to allow them to park for free, even if they are visiting you.• [/FONT][/FONT]You should not use the badge to allow non-disabled people to take advantage of the benefits while you sit in the car. [FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman][FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]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."
[/FONT][/FONT]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum.../dg_186198.pdf

justlikethat_2

Yes the Scottish version states

The badge is for your use and benefit only. It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger. If you are a passenger then a non disabled person can use it to drop you off or pick you up. Once assisted to your destination, you should remove your badge from the vehicle and the driver should make an appropriate parking payment or move the vehicle.

This is clearly b******s. Whatever civil servant thought up that paragraph? I look forward to my conversation with the first traffic warden telling me I have to leave my daughter in her wheelchair on the pavement while I move the car!!