News & Features
10% Rise in Blue Badges Held with No Increase in Accessible Bays
Posted in General News on Thursday, January 30th, 2025
On 31st March 2024 2.84 million Blue Badges were held in England this is a 10% rise compared to the previous statistics, and it means that 4.9% of the population now hold a Blue Badge. In addition, 2.93 million people (5.1% of the population in England) were entitled to a Blue Badge without further assessment, so once again, the stats show that not everyone who is entitled to a badge has one. Despite these significant numbers there has been no recorded increase in accessible parking bays. Therefore, it has become more important than ever to uphold the integrity of the scheme through proper use and effective policing. Unfortunately, the government has once again decided not to include the prosecution stats for Blue Badge misuse and abuse in these statistics. This is the third year in a row that this information has been omitted, and it makes it harder to hold local authorities to account for their enforcement of the scheme.
Disabled Motoring UK’s CEO, Graham Footer said “With accessible bays being at a greater premium than ever before disabled motorists must make sure they use the Badge in accordance with the guidance. We also implore councils to adopt effective enforcement practices to stop the scheme being abused. Local authorities who manage the scheme well and provide accessible parking can apply for each of their car parks to be assessed for our Park Access accreditation. This means that disabled motorists can be assured that it is accessible. We also encourage as many councils as possible to take part in the National Blue Badge Day of Action and look to improve their management of the scheme long-term where appropriate.” To get more information about Park Access and find an accessible car park near you visit our Park Access page.
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Comments
Alan Evans
Thursday, February, 20th, 2025
I understand that lots of lazy motorist will park on blue badge bays but for me it’s more of a concern is shopping areas where blue badge bays aren’t patrolled by the law enforcement officers and from my perspective the shopping areas are where I go the most Near where I live there’s a small M & S (/for now) and I use that shop a lot it’s infuriating when there are no bays why because some lazy self centred individual in their Audi or Merc can’t be bothered to walk from another bay I spoke to the manger of the shop and she pointed out it was beyond her control and was the responsibility of the centre manager I then wrote via email to the centre manager of the Selly Oak mall and didn’t even get a response and for me that is an area that shopping areas need to be targeted In the USA there are and are fined for miss using a blue bay
Cathryn Thaiss
Thursday, February, 20th, 2025
It’s about time the blue badge scheme as a whole is overhauled. With the introduction of blue badge being available to those who are not just physically disabled, which I don’t have an issue with, it has become more difficult to hold people to account. So many use blue badges without the card holder even in the car. Even when it’s reported to the local authority nothing done about it, discovered from freedom of information requests. What’s the point? Perhaps a two tier system? Physical disability- blue badge and another colour for other disability. Penalties need to be introduced for the use of a disabled bay by a non blue badge holder. The amount of times I have been unable to park somewhere because a food delivery driver or builder has parked in it. When you do pull them up on it, “It’s alright love I won’t be long!”. Doesn’t matter, you’ve prevented me from parking! Best of all, those that have expensive cars that park in disabled bays @because they don’t want their car scratched”. Local Authorities need to be held to account. We have to jump through enough hoops to get a blue badge when we have a legitimate need,
P .MACHIN
Thursday, February, 20th, 2025
My GP has a car park of adequate size (18 SPACES) yet only has ONE disabled space. This is not enough disabled parking considering it is a GP`s surgery. Is their any guidance or legislation on this matter.
Terry Hennessey
Thursday, February, 20th, 2025
It's very well for councils enforcing blue badge usage in public car park and disabled parking bays. But who carries out policing of misuse of disabled in shopping areas such as supermarket car parks, where there is no control whatsoever. I've been in local.supermarkets where motorists use disabled bays with no blue badge. Complain to the supermarket they say they have no jurisdiction on the car park so how is monitoring of blue badge parking carried out?
Michael Fishwick
Thursday, February, 20th, 2025
This is something I've been campaigning and complaining about for 30 years , and nothing has been done to bring the number of bays in line with the amount of blue badges being issued. In fact it's exactly the opposite there isn't now and never was a serious attempt to rectify this very serious issue for genuine disabled people to access near to accessible parking to the needs. My town council has spent millions on updating our townhall and the designated disabled parking area for blue badge holders is more than 200 yards away (god forbid).
Edmund Hobby
Thursday, February, 20th, 2025
Blue Badge bays are essential for disabled people. Those that are in need and not those that borrow Grandma's. Enforcement is all but non existent. Both my Wife and I have Blue Badges. She needs it more than I even tho' I am considered virtually unable to walk. Our Car is adapted with a hoist for her power chair which at the moment She will not use after an incident with three pig ignorant cyclists. As She has a special diet, I do the shopping each week and go early to ensure I can park but it is surprising the attitude of some that think parking in a Disabled Bay is OK, its a huge joke to them. My Wife needs a Disabled Bay as She needs the door fully open to get in and out. I do not undersatnd the reluctance to prosecute abusers of the Disabled Bays, Enforcement Officers have the power to examine the Blue Badge and observe the holders photograph. Perhaps the very common attitude of letting the able bodied to take advantage of the disabled bay while the Blue Badge holder sits in the car. Quite clearly stated in the Blue Book issued to NOT do it BUT then most dont read the book orfollow the rules, needs a bit of sorting of the rules. Yes we need more bays but also stop the selfish s*ds that abuse the system.
Jill
Thursday, February, 20th, 2025
It is difficult to find unoccupied disabled parking spaces. This is particularly problematic with on-street parking in towns and cities across England. There are simply insufficient spaces available near to the premises I need to visit. More need to be provided and EV spaces must be increased as more of us disabled drivers, and all other car users, transition to electric cars.
Paul Harper
Thursday, February, 20th, 2025
Before we start blaming the councils and car park providers. We must look at ourselves regarding the misuse of badges. The amount of disabled drivers who rightly park in the bays, but then misuse there badges by sitting in there cars listening to music or reading the paper whilst there passenger who is or is not disabled does the shopping. It clearly states that this is an offence in which we can be prosecuted and have badges seized, but there again as has been stated there is no one to even do this. I personally find those who do this anger me more because when you politely ask them to move so that somebody else can use the space they always refuse.
Gail Edwards
Saturday, February, 22nd, 2025
Many of the Disabled Bays in Birmingham have been converted to electric charging spaces. Is this the same in other areas of the UK?
anna
Tuesday, March, 4th, 2025
local authorities must be held accountable for failure to check and deal with abuse of blue badges , as well as lack of residential bays for badge holders. we lost 6 parking spaces when the council installed a zebra crossing with maximum length zigzags. due to myself & my family having multiple mobility issues ( both my children have walking difficulties due to pain in joints caused by hypermobility , both receive enhanced PIP mobility ) our ward concillor requested provision of a disabled bay, a consultation was carried out before a traffic regulation order was put in place and a disabled bay installed. suddenly a neighbour decided they needed a blue badge at the time the bay was installed... i now find myself sharing the bay with the neighbour , who has chosen to park partially in the bay , located 2/3 of the street away from their house rather than on the road opposite their house. i have had my badge10 years and need to park near my home but increasingly find i no longer can access the bay due to their parking there ( they once parked there 8 weeks without moving due to being housebound ,i believe the guidance states badges should be returned if not needed in these situations) . - i am also the victim of hate crime & have been threatened by multiple neighbours because they see me being priviledged to have access to a space they dont ! our parking wardens walk by disabled bays , see the badge and continue walking - not once have they done any database checks to see if the badge was lost / stolen or belonged to a deceased person . maybe if the checks were done and vehicles removed it might free up spaces. our street bay is frequently abused by non badge holders using a nearby restaurant , leaving us to drive round and round looking for a space - not ideal when some days the pain is so bad you can barely move. no one knows how stressful it is when you are scared to go out for fear of losing a space to park so you end up staying home instead.