To think there is not enough disabled bays for how many badge users there are

Supermarkets, retail parks and leisure centres.

I once saw a very clever car park design that eliminated abuse of BB spaces. As it was just paint (which you'd have to put down anyway) I would assess it as being free to implement.

The fact I have only seen it once - despite suggesting it a few times when consultations for developments locally have gone out is it's own answer.

What we really need to do, is create a system were a bunch of folks with more money than they will every need can make more money from the provision and correct use of BB spaces. Then you'd see gold star service.

"It states in the booklet that if you are driving a disabled person you are not entitled to use the space, you drop the person off and park as normal."

No it doesn't.

I have problems getting a space with a blue badge. The TK Maxx in my town has only one space and it's shared with parents and children!! It makes me cross every time I visit there and think it should not be allowed. Also the number of people who park in the disabled spaces without a badge is outrageous.

@EmmaMaria Sadly this is the case in other hospitals. Have seen someone eatting their lunch in their car in a disabled spot without a blue badge, I had to park elsewhere and watched her get out in full hospital staff scrubs and walk back inside. I complained, but expect she and other staff still do it, as there are never any free spaces at the hospital.

And to others, I bet the always free disabled spaces you see are in locations that are not disabled accessible or not suitable.

We often find in motorway services that the electric charging spaces are closer to the building than the disabled spaces.

But its the case, there are always free disabled places when you dont need or have a blue badge, but disability can suddenly occur and once you get a blue badge, you suddenly discover the spaces you need one (such as the local drs or hospital) are always full with many not displaying a blue badge. I have too often had to turn the car around as the places are full.

@itsitsgettingweird - is that fareham by any chance? If not, that same thing happened there recently too!

If your talking smaller business type parks. Well they just don’t have enough parking spaces full stop but again 9 out of 10 there’s normally one empty. I know because you go oooo finally a space, oh wait no it’s a disabled one. Keep circling.

I am obviously living in the wrong area!🤔

Big Tesco. Has three seperate car parks. Disabled along side long parent spaces, disabled along the store front. Never have we gone shopping and not seen at least two disabled spaces empty in the two main car parks.

Where I live there are so many empty disabled bays especially in supermarkets ( ie at least 30 free ones at various times of the day).

I’m thinking back to when we used parent spaces seeing them full while many empty disabled bays.

Our local Morrisons has three seperate sections where it hosts disabled bays, one basically by the cafe but right at the under cover, one lot within the parent bays, one lot on the side of the store. Side of the store is pretty much always empty all of the spaces.

It's most odd that only abled bodied people claim they're empty.

We've been shopping (and to the hospital) at various times. It's rare not to have to drive around or wait

I wonder about this as well. There are not enough where I live, near Essex.

Maybe it’s the time of day people go shopping?

A bit like the busses nobody who doesn’t need to be on them at 9am does as that’s when the disabled and oap free passes start to work for the day.

Where are these mythical empty BB spaces? I think I've only come across them a few times. Certainly not as often as PPs claim!

Where I live, there is not enough BB parking. The local supermarket parking spaces are nearly always full. I have on occasion used a PC space, if all the BB spaces are taken.

There always seems to be empty disabled bays even when the rest of the car park is fit to burst round here.

My nearest Tesco has doubled the amount of disabled bays recently.
The town centre car park has reduced the number of disabled bays by 75% and made them electric vehicle charging bays.

"Whenever I go past a lot of spaces seem to have the driver's sitting in them, isn't that an abuse too?"
My partner is the driver, blue badge holder. He likes to get his own toiletries, meds, underwear, use Max Speilman/Argos etc, so he'll partly shop with me, then when he's struggling (breathing issues) he'll go back to the car. Or sit and then join me. He couldn't do a full shop.

Bad driving is one of the things which I support AI for, it's starting to be trialled for bad driving. I think the fines should then be spent on the roads. I think cameras should be everywhere. It isn't difficult to drive/park safely and be a decent person.

Whenever I go past a lot of spaces seem to have the driver's sitting in them, isn't that an abuse too?

I’m one of those drivers on occasion. My husband is disabled. Occasionally he wants to go into a shop or the pharmacy himself, so I need to park nearby.

If I’m going into the shop and he’s waiting in the car, obviously I use a regular space.

@Yellowpingu

Unsure if it’s still the case but a colleague with bowel issues was given a card they could show to staff in any business premises which indicated they should be given access to staff toilets as they need to go as a matter of urgency.

Nobody had the right to staff toilets. Urgency cards are not for that.

It’s the opposite where I live-lots of empty disabled bays and nowhere to park for non-disabled drivers.

Unsure if it’s still the case but a colleague with bowel issues was given a card they could show to staff in any business premises which indicated they should be given access to staff toilets as they need to go as a matter of urgency.

we have increased the numbers of conditions that now qualify for a disabled space and we expect the same space to cope with this by magically producing extra spaces. It’s clearly something that needs to be incorporated into the construction of new services, existing ones are going to struggle. We want more blue badge areas and more parent/child spaces, all the while we are producing larger cars which need more room. It all contributes to these issues.

@NippyCrab

It annoys me when I make the effort to use a normal space and the disabled spaces are used up by people sitting in their cars waiting on either the driver or passenger to return. That's not what the spaces are for!

That is exactly what the spaces are for. DH has a BB, I drive the car. He gets out and then returns to the car when he is ready. It does not matter if I go with him, stand outside or sit in the car while he is at his appointment. He has used the BB appropriately.