Govt have today announced changes to the Blue Badge Scheme. DfT pres release at: -
www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/bluebadge/reform/
Main changes seem to be power of immedite confiscation for abuse, move to electronically produced rather than handwritten.
Oh and the fee goes up to £10 - first increase for many years apparently.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 14 Feb 11 at 12:33
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If it reduces the abuse of the system it can't be bad. I will believe immediate confiscation when it happens on a regular basis.
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Looks like the headline confiscation measure will not happen until 2013/14.
This being the government, there are thousands of words to plough through, but there's a summary here:
www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/259428/281009/bluebadgereformstable.pdf
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A few more words on this from the forum's favourite news....organisation.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12435529
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Our old friend Boris had something to say about it in today's Daily Telegraph.
I have mixed views on the "blue badge" scheme; on the one hand, I fully appreciate that many of the users have a genuine need, and also I appreciate that I may well in the fullness of time join that particular group myself. I fully support the use of disabled permits where needed, for this reason.
On the other, I have tended to find by experience that the system is open to considerable abuse. Quite apart from the "dead users", for want of a better phrase, what is not generally considered is that many disability permits are not for the driver at all, but for the benefit of a disabled passenger. That's perfectly fine if the badge is used correctly, but I frequently find that drivers use the badge as an excuse to park the car on a double yellow, leaving granny in the passenger seat whilst they nip to the post office or whatever. That is not what they're intended for, but woe betide anyone brave enough to upbraid the driver for this.
The other misconception is that a blue badge entitles the holder to park anywhere they like, without regard for other traffic. It doesn't; loading bays and residents' parking areas are generally exempt from the waiver, and users are subject to the same restrictions as any other driver regarding parking near junctions, and if causing an obstruction.
I do a weekly delivery to a small town called Porth, in the Welsh valleys. The main shopping street is one-way, quite narrow, with timed parking (free) on the left. Halfway up is the solitary loading bay; I have to park there and handball 50 - 70 bags of chicken feed into the pet shop, which usually takes at least 15 minutes; you'll appreciate that for this reason I can't just stop in the middle of the street. Inevitably said loading bay is occupied by cars; usually a quick toot on the horn or a polite word moves them on, but if I see a blue badge on the dasboard my heart sinks, because I know damn well I'm in for an argument. I've even taken to carrying copies of the relevant section on the Yougov website to prove they're not allowed to park in the loading bay; inevitably this makes them even worse and I then get the nonsense about picking on disabled people. It's never the disabled person themselves BTW, always the able-bodied driver as above. Some of them can be extremely obnoxious.
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Local Health Centre
Blue Badge Signature £30-00 from 1st Feb
Local Council £20.00 for badge
That is £50.00 for next to doing nothing
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Mother (80) renewed hers in Paisley free last weekend, letter confirming her medical details from her GP was free as well.
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About time too...
I'm likely to get lambasted for this, but I think that BBs should only be issued to those who are severely disabled and not to those who are just getting old. The simple fact is that there are too many issued already. There are plenty of parking spaces near to shops where older, but still mobile, people can park.
I entirely agree regarding parking in places they shouldn't (on bends and in loading bays, for instance) and round here the local enforcement officers can, and do, book people for misuse, perhaps in Porth you need to have a quiet word with the local Council or Police... Perhaps even a moan in the local paper could highlight the issue?
As for parking up and displaying the badge with the person still in it, it is actually legal if they are getting something for that person, but I agree that its not on and I, personally, would not do it... Perhaps that needs to be changed as well...
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Yes the abuse of the BB is massive... I rarely see anyone with genuine need making their way from the car.
In our family there are two BBs. One genuine... the other just an elderly person who walks a little slowly and uses a stick sometimes.
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We have one in our family, my mother who can walk about 30 yards maximum, its borderline in my opinion.
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I read what you say Harleyman. I think it is reasonable for an able bodied person to park using an entitled person's Blue Badge, as the alternative could be getting their wheel chair out of the boot, getting them into it and taking them into the establishment to conduct their business. Quite a bit of work and a lot more time. I speak from the experience of transporting a mobility challenged 93 year old around!
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...We have one in our family, my mother who can walk about 30 yards maximum, its borderline in my opinion...
My understanding of the rules would also make Mrs Z a borderline case, but if 30 yards is the absolute maximum, then I think giving her a badge is fair enough.
I recently helped fill out an application for my mother.
Her condition varies, sometimes she can walk reasonably well, other times she struggles to get out of bed.
She was interviewed and turned down, again a borderline case I expect.
I have no complaints with what happened to my mother, but it is frustrating when you see others with a badge who shouldn't have one.
The test is heavily centred around mobility, and the distance the person can reasonably walk.
Time and time again I see couples with badges hop out of the car and go striding down the road.
As Fenlander says, it's almost rare to see a badge holder who struggles to walk.
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You can come and look at SWMBO, Iffy, she struggles to walk!
Seriously, though, as the Report says, the problem is that there are different interpretations of the requirements in the present system, it is a much better idea for just one person (or persons) to be doing it rather than every GP in the area all with different ideas.
PP, I think the issue that HM is referring to is where they able bodied family have deliberately brought the BB holder with them simply so they can park close to the shops and have NO intention of taking her/him with them, they are there simply to get a "prime" parking spot for the lazy s*ds... I do see that a lot, and as he said its not within the spirit of the scheme, and I agree that it should be clamped down on.
Last edited by: hobby on Tue 15 Feb 11 at 11:44
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...it is a much better idea for just one person (or persons) to be doing it rather than every GP in the area all with different ideas...
I only have direct knowledge of two districts, but in both blue badge issue is the sole responsibility of the local authority.
It used to be GPs, and one I spoke to was very sniffy about the power being taken away and given to a bunch of amateurs, as she saw the people at the council.
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It seems to me that there is nothing wrong with the existing system. The abuse of the BB by people isn't part of the system, and should be stamped upon. "Parking anywhere" may lead to a breach of the rules, and if it does, should also be dealt with.
Personally, I'm glad I'm fit and can take care of myself, and sorry for those who are disabled. I do not begrudge them a BB at all.
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Iffy, he might well see it that way, "protecting his job" springs to mind... But it is clear that GPs can't seem to be consistent across the board and some are more generous than others, given the number of BBs issued it needs to be consistent, thats the proposal and that I agree with. If your GP can tell us how he will make him and his colleagues all sing from the same hymn sheet then perhaps they wouldn't have to do it, they can't seem to do it now, so thats why its changing!
FT, the report makes it clear why there has to be changes, and tbh I agree with them. The abuse is partly down to how the BB is issued (fiddling the system to get one when its not really needed) and partly down to actual misuse when issued (parking offences as you mentioned), again procedures need tightening up and thats what is proposed.
The current BB scheme is long overdue an overhaul, and as a user (or at least my wife is!), we both welcome it, as does every genuine user...
Last edited by: hobby on Tue 15 Feb 11 at 11:59
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...If your GP can tell us how he will make him and his colleagues all sing from the same hymn sheet...
hobby,
GPs are no longer involved in the issue of blue badges where mother lives in the Midlands and where I live in the North East.
I don't know the position in other parts of the country.
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The requirement seems to be one of unable or practically unable to walk, same as for DLA mobility component at the higher rate. Recipients of DLA M HR are entitled to a badge without further proof. So are the Blind.
In my area, Northants, and in Leicestershire where my mother lives the GP is involved in non DLA cases. That means most of the elderly as new claims for DLA Mobility cannot be made after age 65. Inevtiably GP's are going to exercise some discretion as cases vary and any attempt at a 'binary' (on/off) definition would rightly criticised as too prescriptive and would create too many hard cases.
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Manchester City Council has had a policy of prosecution of fraudulent users for some years. Plenty of younger people have been caught using relatives badges, dead or alive.
They do get fined and named and shamed in the paper. Cars are uplifted and impounded.
A large proportion of these offenders do not have ' Anglo-Saxon ' names.
It just seems to be a bit of a 'norm ' among some communities.
I have a blue badge...mainly due to angina and diabetic foot problems, you can't really judge whether a person is entitled or not......that's for the powers that be. I might walk normally away from the car, but getting back may be a painful experience.
I was once moved for obstruction. I parked on double yellows on a quiet,
straight road and an hour later, it was bedlam with traffic jams each way. Some sort of event of which I knew nothing.
I just moved at the request/order of the police and parked round the corner.
Ted
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>> hobby,
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>> GPs are no longer involved in the issue of blue badges where mother lives in
>> the Midlands and where I live in the North East.
We're Midlands too, and they are still involved... as it would seem they are in B's area... This is exactly why it should be consistent throughout the Country and not at the individual discression of a GP working to his or her own rules, which it often is at present.
Amongst the 60% of BBs issued to non-DLA (and similar) applicants I would like some consistency, at the moment that isn't happening.
Last edited by: hobby on Tue 15 Feb 11 at 15:19
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A change in the legislation is not before time IMO...long been abused.
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@ hobby and PP; yes, that was my intended meaning.
As Ted rightly points out, it isn't always easy to be specific about a person's need for a BB; I'm fully aware that many people who suffer from multiple sclerosis, for example, can have good days when they're apparently as fit as a flea, and bad ones where they can barely stand.
I suspect that a lot of the abuse isn't deliberately intentional, but springs from familiarity breeding contempt. A better-defined set of guidelines issued to each user, together with a more structured approach to issuing the permits and a hefty penalty for abuse of the priveleges (for that is what they are, not rights) may well improve things.
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Northern Ireland has 5,000 Blue Badges issued whose owners are dead!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12465555
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>> Northern Ireland has 5,000 Blue Badges issued whose owners are dead!
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>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12465555
Probably used for parking while the same deceased owner casts their vote!!!!
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 16 Feb 11 at 09:29
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You have to admit, the dead pass the mobility impaired test.
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>> Probably used for parking while the same deceased owner casts their vote!!!!
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Vote Early and vote Often used to be an NI expression that had more than a ring of truth to it.
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Blue Badge Changes - Old Navy
