Blue Badge Parking Fees

[SPAP]

After overwhelming opposition, Bromley Council has decided to reverse its plans to introduce Blue Badge parking fees in its car parks. Our objections were based on the fact that it must be an unfair proposal, if able-bodied people have the choice to walk or cycle to their destination and pay nothing, while Blue Badge holders have to park (due to their disability) and under the plan, pay.

We're aware that many other councils charge and would urge other members of the public to object. It's the principle of Blue Badge holders paying more then able-bodied people, as well as the cost. We are hoping that our success can be replicated nationally and that ultimately Blue Badge holders will not have to pay anywhere in the country.

I’m going to disagree and say that everyone using the car park should be paying the same, for its upkeep.

i agree with if you want to use a car park, you pay to use it, irrespective of if you have a blue badge or not? all the blue badge does is enable you to park closer, with more space etc.

So are you suggesting that you think it's fair that Blue Badge holders (amongst the most vulnerable in our society)will pay more than able-bodied people to park?

In our village the blue badge holders park ridiculously. I'm talking in the middle of the main road and just leave it

To be honest as a BB holder paying the same as everyone else wouldn't bother me. I'm more appreciative of getting a space that other people aren't allowed to use.

My daughter has a connective tissue disorder, autism, ADHD etc etc. and has a Blue Badge. My husband is able-bodied and could quite easily walk into our local town every day and not pay a penny. There is no way my daughter could go into town without us having to park.

Redglitter, it's as much on principle as the cost (although many Blue Badge holders do not have much money, as they are unable to work). I don't want my daughter to be penalised for her disability. We appreciate we can park near our destination, but it's not a privilege to be seriously disabled.

Blue badges have to pay at loads of car parks.

But, they can also park on double yellow lines etc. so it's all swings and roundabouts

fanaticalfairy - Not all Blue Badge holders can park on yellow lines. One of our supporters, Janet, is 80 years old, has COPD and has to carry oxygen around with her. She is not able to step up from the road onto the pavement. Also, if she's parked on a busy road, she would have to either get her equipment out onto a busy road or onto a busy pavement - impossible for her.

Unfortunately, Blue Badge holders do have to pay to park in many car parks and this is what we are hoping to overturn, as, unlike able-bodied people, Blue Badge holders do not have the option/choice of walking to their destination, and would pay more than people who can.

I have a bb and am happy to pay. I need a space with room/close to facilities which my bb entitles me to. I don't see why it should be free if the car park charges others.

There are lots of people with BB who are also not particularly vulnerable and there are people who are and do not have BB. My mum and my sister are both BB holders who I don't consider to be vulnerable and are perfectly capable of pay their way, so I think the best way is for everyone to pay.

Geez, the milk of human kindness overflowing as ever.

That's great news OP, well done. No BB here but more than happy for holders to park for free. I admit I'm not aware of my council's position, I hope they waive the payment.

Quite!

How very ableist of you. Where would your disability discrimination end? Workhouses?

There are many inequalities in Blue Badge parking. In our main town, you could park on the street free of charge for up to 3 hours with a blue badge. Non blue badge holders had to pay. My DD, (sadly no longer with us), was a wheelchair users who used a wheelchair accessible vehicle with a ramp exit at the rear of the vehicle. This therefore prevented us from parking on the street unless you could guarantee to be the space at the end next to the double yellow lines as we would not be able to get DDs wheelchair in and out of the car. The only concession for blue badge holders on the Council run fee paying car parks was 1 extra hour free above the time paid for. So we were being penalised for using a Wheelchair accessible vehicle whereas someone who could transfer into a wheelchair which folded up into the boot could park for free. I did point this out to the Council in their consultation on parking but it fell on deaf ears.
So it's not just a case of disabled V non disabled, there was discrimination between different levels of disability.

Some BB holders, Like me, have to pay for extra time because of how long it takes to get back to the car. I have been to car parks that give BB holders an extra 30 minutes. Slightly related, my local Tesco has just changed a load of disabled spaces to parent and child.

My mum has a blue badge. Happy to pay - it's not the cost that's the issue, it's the distance. But I really hate when the payment machines are miles from the disabled spots!

We have a blue badge for my DD. She can't walk far at all, and although she has a wheelchair, we're currently waiting over a year to get it replaced for one that fits/isn't broken.

If I go into town with my eldest, we'll either walk or drive, park a bit further out and walk. With my disabled DD we have to park as close as well can to where we're going. And we need the extra space on her side to transfer her to the wheelchair.

Often we don't have a choice but to use the disabled spaces in car parks.

I kind of think that needing a blue badge is pretty shit, and so not having to pay in most car parks is a tiny benefit against a massive disbenefit.

Where I live local residents with blue badges can pay a fee (I think it is about £40 for the year) and can then use the car parks as much as they like. Some people might struggle to pay the £40 in one go but if you can it is a bargain.

Surely this will just make more people park on double yellows and clog up the roads? It's hard to believe there are enough blue badge users that making them pay is going to raise much money, it does seem very mean-spirited. I have absolutely no problem with them parking for free.

Many thanks to those who are sympathetic and understand. Disappointed in those who aren't as generous or understanding.

An extra hour or half hour free wouldn't help us at all. I have MS and haven't applied for a Blue Badge (despite the fact I'd probably qualify, but I think there are others in more need of the spaces than I do), but if I take my BB holder daughter shopping in her wheelchair, the time it takes to get the wheelchair out of the car and back in again, the fact I have to walk slowly, visit the loo (very) often and try to manoeuvre the wheelchair through busy shops, it takes a lot longer than an extra hour.

I worked for 40 years before I reluctantly had to give up work because of MS, so I've paid all my dues, but my income as a non-worker is very small.

Life is hard enough as a disabled person and absolutely the only way my daughter can go out is if we park. As I said before, able-bodied people can walk, cycle or if they CHOOSE park and pay. Blue Badge holders have no choice and shouldn't be financially penalised for it, in my opinion.

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that Blue Badge holders pay more for their parking space than an able bodied person.
I am pleased that your campaign worked for you, and I would never begrudge a disabled person a free or reduced space, as I wouldn’t want to have to live with their disability.
Your argument about walking or cycling might work in a very urban area, but not in more rural ones. My closest town is 10 miles away, and I am certainly not capable of walking or cycling that far, so like everyone else, disabled or not, I drive and park. The council car parks in this area allow BB holders an additional hour of parking for the same price.
My sister lives about 3 miles away from her closest town, and whilst she doesn’t qualify for a Blue Badge she can barely walk to her closest bus stop so her travel wouldn’t be free either.
As I say, I don’t have any issue with BB holders parking for free anywhere, but your case is unlikely to be able to be replicated in any areas except very urban ones.

Don't be ridiculous.
@DustyLee123 has merely expressed an opinion.
It is just as reasonable (well more reasonable) than some of the generalisations the OP is putting out.

The point of having a blue badge is so that people with mobility issues don't have so far to walk to get to where they are going. It also means you can park in a space where there is more room - which is obviously essential for some wheelchair users. There are plenty of people with Blue Badges who aren't on the poverty line.

But this isn’t strictly true is it because many people , myself included , have chronic health conditions that mean I couldn’t for example walk into town but I’m not disabled enough to qualify for a blue badge . So my options are park and pay or get a bus / taxi so no different to your daughter really . Where we live unless you get PIP at the correct level ( I don’t and won’t lie / exaggerate to do so) you won’t get a blue badge unless you can walk less than 100 m .

1 in 10 people in this country have a blue badge so not sure why some posters think it’s so rare and they’re special for having one.
plenty of disabled folk have more income than non disabled folk. OP, kindly, many people on disability benefits aren’t on the breadline.

DLA child top rate: £780 per month
PIP top rate: £780 per month
Universal credit for someone LWRCA and with a disabled child/ carer (without any housing payment): around £2000 per month (just one child- more disabled children extra £490 per month for each one)
carers allowance: £350 per month
plus no council tax, free prescriptions etc etc

many families who have someone or both on PIP and children with DLA are taking it in.

I just don’t buy it, sorry.

PIP and blue badge are completely different things