Having to pay and display even with Blue Badge?

Don't most hospitals have a park and load bay which allow people to help a disabled passenger, even to the point of allowing them to find a wheelchair/seat to wait until the driver has parked the car? It is the case in our local hospitals and many use this option.

On this basis, I fail to understand why non disabled drivers should be entitled to free parking just because they are travelling with a disabled person (apart from a patient with mental health issues in addition to physical which means they can't stay alone for more than 10 minutes).

JaneDoeJohnDoe wrote: »

Don't forget you can park on a double yellow line with a blue badge for up to 3 hrs so long as it's not an obstruction. Near me there's a council car park that charges Disabled drivers, so the disabled bays are empty whilst the road leading to it has a row of blue-badged cars on double yellows!

Only at certain times

I honestly have no sympathy over the whinging over blue badge users paying for parking. Totally agree with Nanny re picking battles and I'm a staunch supporter of disability rights.

At a hospital people become temporarily disabled and can't even use the blue badge spaces ( although it is correct that legally they can on private land) but who wants the hassle of contesting a pcn?

Our hospital is now issuing free parking to anyone undergoing long term serious treatment and I think that is fair.

Quite frankly after having a broken ankle which has taken 6 months to heal and numerous hospital visits why should I not be able to park close? When I was a wheelchair user thankfully temporarily.. We have a whole blue badge car park at our hospital as its a new build but I couldn't use it and neither could anyone else with fractures etc..

I also saw a wheelchair user on the park and ride in another town last week? Why can't disabled use park and ride? If you are able to walk around the shops then what difference does parking nearer make that being dropped off by a bus right by the main shops?

I can only walk so far at the moment so it made no difference to the distance I was able to walk when I got there it was better because I'm was dropped off nearer to the shops than if I' had been able to park in a disabled space in the town's car parks..

lemontart wrote: »

Park and ride or any bus journey not option for me as standing at a bus stop is a no no after few mins let alone walking to one. And not strong enough to sell propel my chair - so would need someone with me which during the week I do not have. A couple weeks ago all close parking at hospital was full so had to park at most distant from main building, I did not make it to appt as physically exhausted and pain levels shot through roof so as when I try to walk to it.

There are seats at the park and ride I used and why would you walk more? You can park in blue badge space at park and ride and sit in car until bus appears. Same coming back seats at stop and buses ever ten mins. I can see taking a normal bus would be more difficult and very prohibitive which is why you have a blue badge. But why should that entitle you to free parking?

If there were no blue badge spaces at your hospital left and that made it really difficult that's awful but surely that is an issue of them not having enough blue badge spaces? Not whether you have to pay for said space?

Lol Nanny thankfully its getting better at last. It wasn't helped by them not casting it until 8 weeks after injury and just concentrating on fixing broken arm.