Blue Badge on double yellow, no clock

valiant24

My wife parked up in a restricted street in Manchester to allow my disabled mother-in-law to get out of the car near her destination, then helped her unload her bags etc.  They were parked for less than 10 minutes during the unload, so were pretty unlucky!

They displayed my m-i-l's blue badge, but not the clock, and Manchester City Council has issued a PCN.

Of course, they should have displayed the clock too but neither has ever used the badge on a public road before (it's usually Tesco etc), and didn't realise they needed to.

I just wondered if anyone knows what the actual law is, and does it specify the clock as well as the badge?   She hasn't got any money so even though the penalty charge is "only" £70 (£35 if paid quickly) my wife's going to end up paying it as she's the registered keeper (and she's equally to blame).

Thanks
V

Gr1pr

On a public road it's definitely clock plus badge,  I have done so for decades  ( I even put the clock out on private car parks,  regardless   )

Read the blue booklet,  or download the pdf version , check page 7

Or google it

Displaying the time clock

You should set the clock to show your time of arrival and display it next to your badge.
You need to do this when you are on single or double yellow lines or an area with time restrictions.

MikeJXE

Buy your mother in law a wallet that contains the badge and the clock and she won’t forget next time 

Emmia

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england

This might help (assuming you're in England)

valiant24

Emmia said:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england

This might help (assuming you're in England)

Thanks for that.
I do appreciate that they should have used the clock, per the guidance.

My question was slightly more nuanced: that's what the regs say but does anyone happen to know if the law actually mandates it?

Just looking for an angle for a confused old lady.   Plus my mother-in-law ;-).

Emmia

valiant24 said:

Emmia said:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england

This might help (assuming you're in England)

Thanks for that.
I do appreciate that they should have used the clock, per the guidance.

My question was slightly more nuanced: that's what the regs say but does anyone happen to know if the law actually mandates it?

Just looking for an angle for a confused old lady.   Plus my mother-in-law ;-).

Law I'd expect - that's what those gov UK pages will be based on.

Baldytyke88

valiant24 said:

My wife parked up in a restricted street in Manchester to allow my disabled mother-in-law to get out of the car near her destination, then helped her unload her bags etc.  They were parked for less than 10 minutes during the unload, so were pretty unlucky!

They displayed my m-i-l's blue badge, but not the clock, and Manchester City Council has issued a PCN.

Of course, they should have displayed the clock too but neither has ever used the badge on a public road before (it's usually Tesco etc), and didn't realise they needed to.

I just wondered if anyone knows what the actual law is, and does it specify the clock as well as the badge?   She hasn't got any money so even though the penalty charge is "only" £70 (£35 if paid quickly) my wife's going to end up paying it as she's the registered keeper (and she's equally to blame).

Thanks
V

Were you parked or unloading, was loading allowed, as parking may not have been.

Loading restrictions are indicated by yellow marks on the edge of the kerb

Gr1pr

When a blue badge is provided,  then its provided with caveats,  same as a driving licence or V5c

The blue booklet explains various aspects,  but IMHO many recipients dont seem to read it 

teaselMay

I know you've said your wife will end up paying it but I'm pretty sure it's your wife's responsibility to pay it if she was driving.

Were the no loading stripes? If so even with the clock you can't park there.

Worth knowing some council car parks insist on the clock being used too.

Coupon-mad

teaselMay said:

I know you've said your wife will end up paying it but I'm pretty sure it's your wife's responsibility to pay it if she was driving.

No it's not. A local authority PCN is the liability of the owner.

Were the no loading stripes? If so even with the clock you can't park there.

But assisted boarding/alighting is an exemption and is the angle the OP is seeking to win this.

Even with kerb blips (a loading ban on single or double yellows) you CAN assist a child or disabled person to nearby premises, if they were a passenger.  This means the PCN should be cancelled.

valiant24 your wife does NOT have to pay if the time taken was merely the time needed to help the disabled passenger to alight and safely enter adjacent premises.

Loading/unliading and actual 'parking' with a BB is not allowed where there are kerb blips.

But boarding or alighting ALWAYS is allowed.

Post on FTLA forum (not MSE) instead. That's where the Local Authority PCN experts are.

valiant24

Thanks everyone.   I used Coupon-Mad's line of argument, that I wasn't parked just unloading.  Although the Council rejected this, they did also waive the penalty as it was my first "offence".

Happy Days!