Latest news with #disableddrivers
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Charity highlights abuse of disabled parking bays
A disabled motoring charity is hoping to highlight "persistent" abuse disabled drivers can face and the misuse of accessible parking spaces. Disabled Motoring UK, based near Carleton Rode in Norfolk, is asking people to give feedback about accessible parking spaces in supermarket car parks, including if vehicles are displaying a blue badge. The group's chief executive, Graham Footer, claimed one in 10 people admitted to parking in a disabled bay without a permit. He said: "Accessible bays are not a 'nice to have' - they are absolutely essential for disabled motorist blue badge holders." The campaign, named Baywatch, is urging people to feedback on the use of accessible parking spaces six major retailers including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. It hopes to keep supermarkets accountable while highlighting some of the challenges faced by disabled people. He said: "The pressure is already there to find accessible parking without the added pressure of abuse of accessible bays on top of that. "It's such a shame when the scheme and bays are abused." However, the charity asks that people just observe and do not take matters into their own hands by confronting motorists. "You really don't know who you are challenging," Mr Footer added. The information will be published for people to see how each supermarket compares. He said: "It's only when we highlight the issue that anything is done but Baywatch keeps this matter on the agenda... it focuses attention for a short period of time which makes the supermarkets get up and listen." Natalie Portman, a blue badge holder who also works at Equal Lives, a disability rights organisation in Norfolk and Suffolk, described how she felt there was "scrutiny" and judgement when disabled people parked. She said smaller shops and parking areas with less spaces could increase tensions. "I think the assumption to have a blue badge, you have to have some mobility appliance, actually that's not a thing for so many blue badge users. "That sense of suspicion you get when you use a parking bay until someone decides you're entitled to be there. "From a disability perspective, and as an individual, that sense of judgement and scrutiny is quite overwhelming when you have that all the time." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story 'I feel judged when I use my Blue Badge' Related internet links Disabled Motoring UK Equal Lives
BBC News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Norfolk charity hopes 'Baywatch' campaign will show blue badge misuse
A disabled motoring charity is hoping to highlight "persistent" abuse disabled drivers can face and the misuse of accessible parking spaces. Disabled Motoring UK, based near Carleton Rode in Norfolk, is asking people to give feedback about accessible parking spaces in supermarket car parks, including if vehicles are displaying a blue badge. The group's chief executive, Graham Footer, claimed one in 10 people admitted to parking in a disabled bay without a permit. He said: "Accessible bays are not a 'nice to have' - they are absolutely essential for disabled motorist blue badge holders." The campaign, named Baywatch, is urging people to feedback on the use of accessible parking spaces six major retailers including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. It hopes to keep supermarkets accountable while highlighting some of the challenges faced by disabled people. He said: "The pressure is already there to find accessible parking without the added pressure of abuse of accessible bays on top of that. "It's such a shame when the scheme and bays are abused." However, the charity asks that people just observe and do not take matters into their own hands by confronting motorists. "You really don't know who you are challenging," Mr Footer added. The information will be published for people to see how each supermarket said: "It's only when we highlight the issue that anything is done but Baywatch keeps this matter on the agenda... it focuses attention for a short period of time which makes the supermarkets get up and listen." Natalie Portman, a blue badge holder who also works at Equal Lives, a disability rights organisation in Norfolk and Suffolk, described how she felt there was "scrutiny" and judgement when disabled people parked. She said smaller shops and parking areas with less spaces could increase tensions. "I think the assumption to have a blue badge, you have to have some mobility appliance, actually that's not a thing for so many blue badge users."That sense of suspicion you get when you use a parking bay until someone decides you're entitled to be there. "From a disability perspective, and as an individual, that sense of judgement and scrutiny is quite overwhelming when you have that all the time." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Auto Express
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
UK EV charger boom is leaving disabled drivers behind
The number of on-street chargers has leapt up by 27 per cent in the last year, however, only a third of councils have installed ones that conform to important accessibility guidelines, once again leaving disabled drivers out of the loop. A Freedom of Information request submitted by Vauxhall as part of its Electric Streets campaign found that as many as 38 per cent of local councils across the UK do not offer on-street EV chargepoints that conform with the PAS 1899:2022 accessibility standards. Advertisement - Article continues below It's also worth pointing out that, while the above may sound sensationalist – after all, 62 per cent of councils do technically offer accessible charging – only 2.2 per cent of all the UK's public chargers adhere to PAS guidelines, meaning there'll be very few accessible ones in each area PAS 1899:2022, while not enshrined in law, essentially asks chargepoint operators (CPOs) to ensure their devices are placed at a height appropriate for wheelchair users, are not too heavy to manipulate and are in an accessible area with plenty of space to manoeuvre, say, a mobility scooter. Graham Footer, chief executive of Disabled Motoring UK, said that the findings are 'unsurprising', and that the campaign group is "deeply concerned by the almost complete lack of PAS-compliant public charging infrastructure'. Footer explained that 40 per cent of disabled drivers the charity surveyed did not live in accommodation suited to home EV charger installation, meaning they would have to rely on public infrastructure – something that would not be compatible with many of their physical needs. 'The government's promise was that no one would be left behind in the transition to green energy, but it is completely obvious that disabled motorists are indeed being left behind in the transition to EVs,' Footer said, urging No 10 to 'act now and address this failure before it's too late'. Auto Express has approached the government's Disability Unit for comment, but is yet to receive a response. In the meantime, this data comes only months after the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published its report into the UK's EV charger rollout, which concluded that the current situation is in danger of creating 'inequalities in the cost of driving'. The government is also yet to publish the results of its review into PAS 1899:2022, despite it now being around two-and-a-half years after its initial introduction. Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express ? We'll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too .
