Blue Badge Use Question

ChangesAhead

If you are dropping off a passenger who has a blue badge outside a medical place and then park up elsewhere some distance away using their badge, before returning to pick them up when there appointment is over. Is this allowed?

It was a question I wondered earlier today. I couldn't park outside the medical premises where I dropped them on, no on street parking left, so I had to park elsewhere and paid for two hours of parking, when I did wonder if I could have parked in a disabled bay free since the car was solely being used for the passengers benefit. There was no way the disabled badge holder could have walked to and from where the car was parked.

neilmcl

If there were no designated parking available at the medical centre the blue badge would've allowed you to park on double yellows for a specified period.

Aylesbury_Duck

I don't think it is allowed. It's one of those situations where you did the most practical thing, but you would have put your passenger's badge at risk if you had driven to another location and parked using their badge.

House_Martin

neilmcl wrote: »

If there were no designated parking available at the medical centre the blue badge would've allowed you to park on double yellows for a specified period.

Apart from double yellows with little yellow lines marked across the doubles in it every meter or so.
I used to ferry a blue badge holder around for three years and nearly got caught out with that one.
Also the car must not be causing an obstruction/danger to traffic if parked on a double , so OP must be sure its in a relatively safe stretch when using a double yellow to park up on.
I think AylsburyD is correct about dropping off driving away on your own and parking up somewhere else.
I used to do it all the time because my partner was in such a state she could nt walk too far unassisted .
Cancer ward entrance was still a longish walk from a disabled spot, if I could find one which non blue badge holders had nt greedily taken up, otherwise they were mostly taken up anyway with other genuine holders parking.

neilmcl

House_Martin wrote: »

Apart from double yellows with little yellow lines marked across the doubles in it every meter or so.
I used to ferry a blue badge holder around for three years and nearly got caught out with that one.
Also the car must not be causing an obstruction/danger to traffic if parked on a double , so OP must be sure its in a relatively safe stretch when using a double yellow to park up on.

Yes, I should've clarified. You can park on yellow lines only where there is no loading restrictions.

The blue badge scheme is aimed primarily at on-street parking, off street parking operators can have their own rules.

In fact all is explained here - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/638526/blue-badge-rights-responsibilities.pdf

ChangesAhead

I should have clarified a little more, the medical centre has space for 4 cars with on street paid parking outside, usually we can get in there, but not today.


I dropped off passenger and drove around to the centre of town and parked up in a on street pay for space for two hours. There were disabled spaces which would have been free when displaying a badge and these were empty. I personally went back to medical centre to be with passenger and then walked back to fetch car after the appointment.


I am never keen to park on double yellows, even when passenger is with me.


The reason I ask, is because I was not 100% sure of the rule, traffic wardens frequent this part of town a lot, so I didn't want to take the risk, hence paying but I did wonder if I could have parked for free in a disabled bay, given I was solely there for driving passenger and badge holder to appointment.

ChangesAhead

neilmcl wrote: »

The blue badge scheme is aimed primarily at on-street parking, off street parking operators can have their own rules.

In fact all is explained here

Thanks for the link, had to remove link as new user.


It does mention, to be used at the place you are collecting or dropping off, so I think I have my answer! Glad I paid now, better to pay than be unsure!

System

The simple test to apply is whether the disabled person is present in the vehicle when you park the vehicle or leave the parking spot you want to use the badge with. If that is the case then you can use the blue badge.

chrisw

Tarambor wrote: »

The simple test to apply is whether the disabled person is present in the vehicle when you park the vehicle or leave the parking spot you want to use the badge with. If that is the case then you can use the blue badge.

Makes sense if you think about it. The badge is to minimise the distance the badge holder has to walk. Therefore if you drop them off and pick them up, that has been achieved and there is no need for you to have to park close as you have no problem walking.