New Blue Badge anti-fraud measures

harveybobbles

roddydogs wrote: »

you must be referring to Supermarkets- i can assure you that on public road, red Routes especially, these are rigeriously enforced.:o Wardens/parking attendents have new powers to challenge Blue Badge users-the trouble is they have to actually see the person Parking/leaving in orders to challenge them. anothe weakness is that the persons picture does not have to be shown, its on the back!

RE: Supermarket carparks - why isn't there a picture of a bloke holding a child in the "mother and baby" spaces?

Can a Father take his child into the baby changing toilets, when 99, if not 100% of them are in the ladies...?

Can I park in a mother/father/parent and child space if i'm picking up my neice, who is 2 (Mum wanted to carry on shopping, child cried, so good uncle came to pick her up)

And what is the age limit for "parent and child"? - Sorry if that sounds a bit Peter Kay...

maryotuam

I have a Blue Badge because I'm terminally ill. When I go out it's because I'm having a "good" day. However I can and do get very weak and need to return to the car quickly.

My point is that I would be very happy to be challenged often if it meant that people who abuse the system were challenged often too. My husband is the driver but he NEVER uses the badge unless I'm with him!

Is there anywhere that people can ring up if they know about someone abusing the system?

shazrobo

to the poster who asked what age can you use the parent and child spaces?
my twin sons are now 12 and i still use the parent and child parking spaces.
the reason why, is because they both have severe learning difficulties, and would just run across a busy car park.
both boys get dla at the highest rate for care and low rate for mobility, so no blue badge, and i would not use a disabled bay as its not my right.
incidentally i also get dla at highest rate for care and low for mobility, got letter this week, so three disabled in same household, and no blue badge.
just wish life was easier, and safer for my sons, eg being able to park closer to the shops.
sorry for rant

Reggie_2

my wife uses a wheelchair as she can't walk at all, we usualy visit blackpool most summers and we always know that you can park on the carparks for 3 hours then you have to get a ticket for the rest of the day. but this year they have changed it now you can only park for 3 hours in a disabled space only!!! and these are virtualy inposible to find, we did not know this at the time and were given a £30.00 fine it turned out to be a expencive day out

jdavanport

Fran wrote: »

The problem with supermarkets is that it is not enforceable. Parking other than on private place is an offence and there's no question. If people think they can 'get away with it' then they will.

From Direct.gov website:

I asked Asda to do something about the disabled bays being used by
non-disabled people, their reply: IF THEY ARE ASKED TO MOVE, WE WILL LOSE A CUSTOMER, QUOTE. I think that says it all.:mad:

Fran

jdavanport wrote: »

I asked Asda to do something about the disabled bays being used by
non-disabled people, their reply: IF THEY ARE ASKED TO MOVE, WE WILL LOSE A CUSTOMER, QUOTE. I think that says it all.:mad:

That's interesting, I wonder if they are breaking any disability laws though?

d123

Fran wrote: »

That's interesting, I wonder if they are breaking any disability laws though?

I doubt it, the bays on private property have no legal standing.

As posted earlier in the thread (by you)

"Blue Badge parking bays


'Off-street' disabled parking bays such as supermarkets

Most disabled persons' parking bays in off-street car parks - for example, supermarket car parks - are not covered by Blue Badge scheme regulations.

Car parks and parking bays like these are likely to be privately owned and managed by the individual business. The agreement, and any cost to use them, will be between the owner and the motorists/customers.

If you are a disabled motorist (or passenger) and you complain to, for example, a supermarket that a non-disabled motorist has parked in a disabled bay, an employee of the store could ask the driver to move their car from the disabled bay but they will not be in a position to legally insist on it.

louidog

I recently spotted one of the parents from my school parking in a disabled parking bay. Now this really made me mad as my husband is a BB holder and the amount of people just plonking their cars in the disabled bays is a real bug of mine. She told me that as she had 3 children that made her disabled and therefore entitled to park in a disabled parking bay! :eek:

When I asked her if she wanted the disabilty that goes with having a BB she just told me to go forth and multiply in no uncertain terms! :rolleyes:

TOBRUK

shazrobo wrote: »

to the poster who asked what age can you use the parent and child spaces?
my twin sons are now 12 and i still use the parent and child parking spaces.
the reason why, is because they both have severe learning difficulties, and would just run across a busy car park.
both boys get dla at the highest rate for care and low rate for mobility, so no blue badge, and i would not use a disabled bay as its not my right.
incidentally i also get dla at highest rate for care and low for mobility, got letter this week, so three disabled in same household, and no blue badge.
just wish life was easier, and safer for my sons, eg being able to park closer to the shops.
sorry for rant

Hi shazrobo, in your position, with two sons with learning difficulties plus you having DLA highest care, although you don't get highest mobility (which automatically entitles you to BB) I am sure you would qualify for BB - you can contact social services regarding this (I think I am right) and a letter from your GP, as they do issue BB's for certain circumstances. Hope this helps.

sr2_2

My mother is Epileptic and has difficulty walking so is a Blue Badge holder. I often drop her off at shops or elsewhere, park the car on a disabled bay and then walk to wherever she is. On one occasion I dropped her off and parked the car in a disabled bay. As I started walking to where I dropped her off a man in a car came screaming up next me and started hurling abuse! Apart from the swearing what he was saying was "you don't look very disabled to me", "you are using a stolen badge", etc. I tried to explain to him as calmly as possible but he did not believe a word of it. It was quite embarrassing as a number of people were walking past or stood close by and heard everything. I felt like fetching my mum just to prove to him I was not lying, but as she has difficulty I would have had to drive to pick her up!

I understand that there are a lot of people out there abusing the Blue Badge system but there are also a lot of people using it legitimately.

The other point is a disability does not have to be physical. So I could have been disabled for all this guy knew.

I really worry when i park the car on my own in case a traffic warden stops me. Will they believe me if I tell them that I have just dropped my mum off? Thank goodness is has not happened so far.

SR2