Kingston hospital parking ticket

Coupon-mad

Make sure you update the V5C when you move. Trouble is the DVLA will then put right the missing name error on the document.

UA1991

Hi, I've had an update as this has now been sent to Debt Recovery Plus. PALS have advised that I should appeal, but this has been rejected. Would a complaint to PALS be the best way forward with this?

Thank you

GrannyKate

Ask PALS to escalate this as a formal complaint to the CEO

1505grandad

As above - also, given the serious circumstances described in the post, get your MP involved to also write to PALS/CEO?

OldBugger

@Coupon-mad

"And not only that, UKCPM sometimes run a data-intrusive system whereby they require Blue Badge holders to 'scan' or 'register' their Blue Badge (not just display it) which means taking it off the dash and going to a kiosk or inside premises first, then traipsing back to display the Badge again."

Surely that is direct discrimination of disabled people under the equality act 2010 as able bodied drivers don't have to do this.

Alderbank

Not really, disabled drivers still have all the same rights as other drivers.

You might as well say they are discriminated against because they have to go to the trouble of going to the town hall to apply for and collect their blue badge, which no able-bodied drivers have to do.

What would be an improvement though would be if they could scan their blue badge then not have to return and display it. All users know that there is a higher risk their vehicle will be broken into in order to steal that valuable bit of cardboard.

MrJenkinsEsq

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163982#Comment_82163982

I don't think that's right . Having the same rights as other drivers isn't the test. A service provider has to adjust any practice that puts disabled people at a substantial disadvantage.

Most blue badges are issued for walking difficulty. Making the holder walk to a kiosk, back to the car and then to the building turns one walk into three and defeats the point of the bay.

It isn't direct discrimination, but it is a failure to make reasonable adjustments.

Alderbank

If you're not a blue badge holder you probably aren't aware of this, but in some areas the scheme is widely abused by people who are not themselves legitimate badge holders, meaning that blue badge spaces are occupied by people who are not entitled to them.

The blue badge users I know are all very much in favour of systems which require the user to show their faces along with their photo badge at the kiosk to cut down on abuse. I do agree with you though that having presented their badge at the kiosk, users shouldn't have to trek back to their car to display it.

Coupon-mad

This is all imposed purely because private parking firms want to use camera surveillance only. That doesn't meet the double 'lawful reasons' requirement in the DUA 2025 to collect 'special category data'.

Even to ask disabled people to 'register' their Blue Badge is excessive, data intrusive and - if it imposes extra steps - it is certainly burdensome and a failure to make a 'reasonable adjustment'.

Which is an offence by the service provider under the Equality Act 2010 and the EHRC's statutory Code too.

No blue badge holder that I know is "in favour of systems which require the user to show their faces along with their photo badge at the kiosk to cut down on abuse".

Absolutely not!

Displaying a blue badge is enough on-street and should be enough on private land.

I worked as a Service Manager in disability advice before retiring and have never seen any evidence whatsoever to support what I call out as a poorly-reported knee-jerk urban myth that "in some areas the scheme is widely abused by people who are not themselves legitimate badge holders, meaning that blue badge spaces are occupied by people who are not entitled to them."

Show me your evidence please?

I disagree. I also drove three blue badge holders around for years, one of whom I still do take shopping and they are in their nineties.

We never fail to find a space and due to my training & experience in that job, I never judge nor expect all the drivers in those spaces to be elderly (which a lot of people seem to think and shout about). I never - literally never - see cars parked without blue badges in disabled bays at supermarkets, retail parks, etc. Believe me, I look on every visit.

Where's the evidence? DMUK's 'Baywatch Scheme' for example, purports to gather such evidence but their so-called data is fatally skewed and hampered by:

• the fact they send people off with a biased agenda to go looking for vehicles that the individual 'thinks' do not contain a disabled person;
• the people reporting back to DMUK are all carers or disabled people who can be judgemental and might think they know what they should be looking for but most people don't really;
• the people reporting back are neither impartial nor trained;
• the lack of observation period;
• the lack of instructions to bear in mind that (and look to discount that) the driver might be going inside to collect & escort a blue badge holder;
• the fact that the driver or passenger might be a blue badge holder but their disability isn't obvious and there could be reasons why their blue badge might not (or cannot) be in the car / displayed immediately;
• the fact that they might be merely going inside their own flat to fetch their blue badge (used to exempt any car they are using, of course);
• the fact they might be a carer doing the above.

UA1991

Ok thank you for the advice everyone, the complaint has been submitted and the MP will be contacted and I'll keep you all posted of any updates