Britannia/Waitrose/Electric Car and Blue Badge

Bongo10

Long time lurker on this board and thank you for all your efforts!  Managed to avoid any private tickets so fare, but  the driver of my car had a heated discussion with the Britannia parking person this morning.  Car, with blue badge displayed, was charging in an electric car bay and the driver was told that the blue badge wasn't valid there, only in disabled bays, and the muppet proceeded to start doing a ticket.  The driver departed without waiting for this, moved to a disabled bay and went in to complain to the Waitrose duty manager.  He said that if we get any sort of a ticket to come in and he would cancel it, but it seems to raise some points of principal and I might be tempted to go through the process and counterclaim, bringing in Waitrose! 
 - As far as I am aware a blue badge gives free parking in all bays, as there is no prominent signage saying otherwise.  Not much prominent signage at all as Waitrose obviously insist that it is in corporate green and include 'may incur a charge'!
- If this rule is correct then they are not making reasonable adjustments for a disabled electric car driver.  an issue that will become more common as such cars become more common.
Any thoughts or will it just be simpler (if anything appears in the post) to get Waitrose to cancel it? 

KeithP

Which Waitrose was this?

Bongo10

It was Guildford.

Umkomaas

You might be surprised to learn that Britannia no longer require a university degree to become one of their weasel pack!

go-on-then

If the car was charging what does it matter if there was a blue badge or not ?? 

Sorry not familiar with electric cars ! 

KeithP

@Bongo10, you might want to read this thread started earlier this week...

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6325479/pcn-from-brittania-parking-believed-not-pofa-compliant

At first glance it may not appear relevant but read on.

Might be worth checking progress with @Glennyboyy.

Umkomaas

KeithP said:

@Bongo10, you might want to read this thread started earlier this week...

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6325479/pcn-from-brittania-parking-believed-not-pofa-compliant

At first glance it may not appear relevant but read on.

Might be worth checking progress with @Glennyboyy.

Well spotted @KeithP. I did wonder if it was one and the same location, but when I was reading the thread and attempting to post a one-liner I was on my mobile in the car with Mrs U driving, so unable to do a proper search (and keep a nervous watch on the road ahead! 😄)

fisherjim

Do Waitrose or the signs say free parking for blue badge holders? That's very unusual on private car parks, all I can see is 1.5 hrs free parking via a refund when when you spend £10.

A blue badge isn't relevant on private land except as a courtesy to the private parking company to show the right to use a disabled bay.

es5595

I can’t see why it’s an issue if you were plugged in and charging whilst displaying a blue badge? 

If you were being an absolute CF and blocking an electric car charging bay with an ICE car, then you shouldn’t have been parking there and I really hope you have to deal with the hassle of a parking ticket.

The same level of derision is reserved for non-electric cars blocking charging bays as the perfectly able-bodied using disabled bays. 

Umkomaas

es5595 said:

I can’t see why it’s an issue if you were plugged in and charging whilst displaying a blue badge? 

If you were being an absolute CF and blocking an electric car charging bay with an ICE car, then you shouldn’t have been parking there and I really hope you have to deal with the hassle of a parking ticket.

The same level of derision is reserved for non-electric cars blocking charging bays as the perfectly able-bodied using disabled bays. 

I think it's pretty clear from the OP. 

Car, with blue badge displayed, was charging in an electric car bay

Bongo10

Thanks for all the various inputs.  Blue badge parking is free, as stated on the pay machines.  Unusually for Waitrose this is a patrolled car park that charges, not done by ANPR.  No reason not to pay as it is refunded when shopping in Waities anyway, but the blue badge just saves the hassle.
Anyway I will see what turns up in the post, if anything, then will update the the thread.  Presumably with no ticket on the car they have 14 days to write in order to comply with POFA.