aghast at the amount of reduced / free disabled parking being removed

[pettywitchinlondon]

It used to be that most places provided free parking for disabled badge holders. This seams to very rapidly being removed. Aibu to be annoyed at this blatant profiteering?

Yanbu.

Yabu, can't say I've seen this. In fact it's probably gone the other way here, rows and rows of empty disabled spaces...

Yes rows of empty parking as the fees are extortionate!

Nope, loads of empty free parking spaces...

Ds is a blue badge holder. Mostly we are glad that we are able to access a space big enough to get him in and out of the car. We live in a rural area though so most people have to drive.

If you're talking about car parks in town centres etc. where they are usually pay and display then the disabled spaces have never been free round here as far as I'm aware? My grandad needs a blue badge but always pays for parking at pay and displays, should he not?

Other way here. There was so much disabled parking I'd never seen it even 3/4 full, plus there were also lots of double yellows they can park on.
For some reason the council decided to make half the ordinary parking also disabled. So I now don't go into town during the week unless I absolutely have to.

I think there should be enough disabled parking for there always to be enough with a few spaces spare. Say at Christmas shopping should be at about 90% capacity... There should be no possibility of a blue badge holder not getting a space at any point.

In some places a full exemption allows you free parking. But not all blue badges do.

Yanbu OP. We should not be taking steps backwards on this. Blue badge spaces are done on ratio of population when a car park is designed, this doesn't take into account the demographic of an area so some places are woefully short.

The only places I've ever seen rows and rows of empty spaces are places where it's not free and they charge a fortune.

Do you mean the blue badge holder just pays the normal charge for the car park. Surely nowhere is charging Bb holders extra?

The local councils locally have recently introduced a scheme where all cars are charged to park. Plenty of accessible spaces and blue badge holders have to pay for 30 minutes parking but get two hours parking.
Local private car park has marked bays but charges everybody, local supermarket has lots of marked bays.

Struggle to get a disabled space most of the time but if I do get one then I am happy to pay same as everyone else

We have a blue badge, but tbh it's very rare to get a disabled park round here so more often than not we do pay for parking in a 'normal' bay. I don't have an issue with paying, even for a disabled bay, just wish there were more of them

In our city there is ample disabled parking and in the town centre is the first 3 hours free. Mum has a blue badge and we never struggle to park, there always loads free, as there is at the supermarket, gym, shopping centres etc. If its being reduced in your area, why not write to the council?

We get a blue badge space probably less than half the time we try to.

I've noticed a gradual whittling away of spaces. My local supermarket now only has 2 disabled spaces as the rest have been converted to p&c spaces. I used to always get a space, now I rarely get a space so can't shop alone anymore.

Charging for disabled parking spaces is unfair. We don't have the choice to use cheaper options that others do.

Our local council changed their rules when the government said tax discs were going - council car parks now charge but blue badge holders get double the time on the ticket.

I hope it's less confusing than the old system. I live on a county boundary and in the past I have seen parking tickets on the cars of disabled people who thought they could park for free in a council car park but hadn't read the fine print and were ticketed because their permit or whatever it is was issued by the other county. I think that was unbelievably petty.

YANBU.

Round here a disabled person, like me, has to pay the same amount to park as a non-disabled person, yet it takes me around three times as long to do what I need to do. I reckon they could be breaching the Equality Act where it says they have to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people so they aren't treated unfavourably, but I'm not strong enough to take them on.

BB spaces used to be free around here but you now get an extra hour free. Since this happened it has been easier to get a space because a lot of people park on the double yellows in town instead.

Come and live in West Oxfordshire - all the parking for everyone is free :-) I'm always getting caught out elsewhere as I forget to have change.

Loads of BB places here, never seen them all full. BB holders have to pay the same as anyone else. But it isn't that expensive anyway.

Didn't realise BB holders could park on double yellow lines, that will be helpful next time I'm taking mum to an appointment.

No concessions in car parks for Blue Badge Holders around here. Some of the Council run car parks give you an extra hour free - I think but they don't publicise it.
I have mixed feelings about this. Yes being disabled doesn't necessarily mean that you can't afford to pay for parking. However, if you are not disabled then you have more choice for cheaper alternatives ie Park and Ride or cheaper long stay car parks further out of the town centre. And yes, lots of disabled people can use park and ride and many do. But my DD has to be near to certain medical equipment which is too heavy to carry around all day so we need the car nearby, so I do feel that we are penalised for this on the parking fee front.

Yes. Even more so when the disabled person has to go out of their way to get the ticket. Eg trek to the machine then back to the car, struggle to reach a machine that is too high for someone in a wheelchair.