Disabled parking

moochie

hello everyone
i have a blue badge and in my local areas (Calderdale and Kirklees in west yorkshire) it is free to park in council run car parks all day. However, if i get to the car park and there are no designated parking spaces left, would my carer be ok to let me out of the car then park in a 'normal' bay for free ''all day''?

It would be great if someone from my local area could answer but i know the chances are very slim lol, so i'm just asking what the general consensus is really. I've asked the councils themselves and believe it or not the people i have spoken to are not sure!

thanks for reading!

unforeseen

What do the signs state?

Something along the lines that disabled badge holders can only park for free in the disabled parking bays? If so then parking elsewhere will not be free.

Ames

Do you mean if you go to a car park, there are no wide spaces, so your carer pauses to let you out before pulling into a normal width bay?

Yes, that would be fine.

If you mean can they drop you off somewhere and go and park some distance away then that would be more of a gray area.

As the above poster says, if free parking is only if you're in a disabled bay then no you couldn't park for free in a regular bay.

McKneff

Cant you just wait a few minutes for a bay to become free,

unforeseen

Also be careful. Although there is free parking at council run carparks for badge holders, a few of them have also have a time limit for the disabled bays.

EG Parsonage Lane in Brighouse has a 4 hour limit on the disabled bays

moochie

hi again, thankyou all for your replies!

unforeseen - the signs where i go just state disabled badge holders may park for free, it doesn't specify in a disabled bay only unfortunately, which is why i'm unsure. Ah, just seen your new post! Thanks for that, i do make sure i read the signs carefully but its always good to be aware, Brighouse would be one of the towns i would be visiting. If i have to go, we try park by the bus station as its closest to where i need to be, i haven't been for a while now but as far as i'm aware there are no time limits there

Ames - oh yes, i mean my carer just pauses to let me out then parks, I would never get dropped off away from the car park then let my carer go park alone using my badge, i can see how this would certainly be a grey area

McKneff - there are few disabled parking spaces in the towns i would be visiting as they are relatively very small, i avoid the big towns, its just not possible to sit and wait for a space to become free, you are very lucky if you turn up and someone is just leaving, or getting into the car on the way to leaving. Other traffic is also a problem because waiting often causes an obstruction.

Just wanted to say as well, I wouldn't be parking all day, its generally only a very short visit i need, i just said all day because i know i can park in a disabled bay all day for free.

thanks again, very much appreciated xxx

sheramber

I would suggest you write to the council and ask.

Someone has to reply in writing and this tends to make them investigate the situation.

SuzieSue

moochie wrote: »

hi again, thankyou all for your replies!

unforeseen - the signs where i go just state disabled badge holders may park for free, it doesn't specify in a disabled bay only unfortunately, which is why i'm unsure

If it doesn't specify then it means you can park in any bay with a blue badge. We have always done this and have never had a problem.

rockingbilly

SuzieSue wrote: »

If it doesn't specify then it means you can park in any bay with a blue badge. We have always done this and have never had a problem.

and in doing so are depriving the council of the fees that a non disabled driver would have paid to use the bay you are occupying
Surely it's much better to just park on double yellows giving up the spaces in the car parks for those that have to pay.

fed_up_and_stressed

rockingbilly wrote: »

and in doing so are depriving the council of the fees that a non disabled driver would have paid to use the bay you are occupying
Surely it's much better to just park on double yellows giving up the spaces in the car parks for those that have to pay.

Double yellow lines tend to be there for a reason. Personally I prefer to park in bays in designated parking areas.

SuzieSue

fed_up_and_stressed wrote: »

Double yellow lines tend to be there for a reason. Personally I prefer to park in bays in designated parking areas.

Exactly. It isn't usually safe to park on double yellow lines otherwise they wouldn't be there. You can only park on double yellow lines if you won't obstruct the traffic so it isn't usually possible.