Latest news with #disabledparking
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Supermarkets to be named and shamed for abuse of parking rules at stores this month
Disabled people across Britain have the opportunity to name and shame supermarkets where they suffer a specific type of abuse. The issue in question has become prevalent in recent years, with cases of fraud, misuse and threatening behaviour increasing by over 1,000 per cent since 2016. Now a charity is inviting disabled drivers and those they travel with to provide feedback on their experience of flagrant rule breaking when visiting Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl stores between now and the middle of August. Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) has launched a survey for people to review misuse of disabled parking bays at the six major supermarkets, which are designated for Blue Badge holders only. Those with permits have been reporting nationwide problems when trying to access these spaces, with drivers without Blue Badges selfishly using bays because they are typically those closest to the store - and then become aggressive when approached by people needing them most. Statistics show than the Blue Badge scheme itself is being 'shockingly' exploited, with permit thefts on the rise and reported instances of abuse growing from hundreds per year to over 3,500 cases by 2023. DMUK says the findings from its study will be shared with supermarket bosses and made public 'to raise awareness and help drive positive policy change'. The charity says supermarkets and operators of their private car parks often lack a commitment to prioritising improvements to accessibility barriers suffered by disabled drivers. This is despite the fact they are using their wide-ranging resources to chase 14.4million drivers each year for breaking car park rules regarding the duration they stay or how late they return to their vehicles. Exclusive analysis by This is Money earlier this month found that 40,000 tickets per day worth up to £100 are being issued by these private parking companies - but DMUK says they are fundamentally failing disabled motorists by not enforcing Blue Badge bays at these locations. This week, it launched its 'Baywatch' campaign to highlight the ongoing abuse of disabled parking bays and Blue Badge misuse at supermarkets, calling for greater operator accountability. With little evidence of enforcement of disabled bays, visitors entitled to use them are sometimes 'feeling pressured to put their personal safety at risk by challenging disabled bay abuse,' DMUK said. The charity says supermarkets and operators of their private car parks often lack a commitment to prioritising improvements to accessibility barriers suffered by disabled drivers A report published in June estimates that for every disabled parking bay in the UK, there are currently 52 permit holders, with many reporting a daily scramble to access the limited spaces available. As such, two in five disabled customers have been forced to leave car parks because there were no available suitable spaces. More than a third (36 per cent) reported non-badge holders occupying accessible bays, according to a recent report. According to a report by The Purple Pound, supermarkets lose £501million a month through lack of accessibility for disabled visitors. 'Accessible parking bays aren't just a nice-to-have - they're a lifeline. Without them, so many disabled people are shut out of everyday life, whether that's getting to work, buying food, going to appointments, or just being part of their community,' explains Dr Shani Dhanda, an award-winning disability inclusion and accessibility specialist. 'When bays are misused or not properly enforced, it sends a really clear message that our access and independence aren't a priority. 'Baywatch matters because it's not just raising awareness - it's holding people to account and pushing for real change.' Shocking abuse experienced by disabled drivers Members of DMUK have been sharing their own personal experiences of visiting supermarkets, with tales ranging from the disappointing to downright alarming. Andy S said he had witnessed a father and adult daughter getting out of a car parked in a disabled bay with no blue badge in the windscreen. 'My daughter politely asked if they had forgotten to put the BB on display, the abuse that followed was disgusting,' he explained. 'I then approached the man and received the same. 'Security [in the supermarket] witnessed it and did nothing. I thought it was going to get physical [so] I walked away.' Another male DMUK member detailed the difficulties he struggled during one visit. 'I went to a supermarket, which had 25 blue badge bays, all were full, only 10 cars had badges the rest had no badges on display, the supermarket said the car park was policed by a private company. 'I had to try parking elsewhere; it caused problems when my wheelchair lift blocked the car park access road.' DMUK Member, Joyce K explained: 'I went to the supermarket to go shopping with one of my carers and the disabled bays were all full, there were six bays, only four had blue badges on display. 'When I confronted one of the drivers I was given abuse and told she would park where she wanted, the lady then walked off to go to cashpoint and other shops, I drove away. 'I tried to report it to the store only to be told the car park didn't belong to them so they couldn't do anything about it.' Mary T detailed a very similar scenarios at a supermarket. 'I witnessed disabled bays being used by Uber/cab drivers as pick-up spots, plus a staff member eating his lunch in a car with no blue badge. I spoke to a person who identified as a supervisor and was rudely told he didn't care… I emailed the supermarket Customer Relations which was not replied too,' she said. Misuse of Blue Badge scheme is rife In May, the British Parking Association (BPA) - the body representing private parking operators - said it is witnessing startlingly high instances of misuse and fraud by dishonest motorists who are 'undermining the integrity of the Blue Badge scheme' and making 'day to day life more difficult for those who genuinely need it'. It also highlighted that the number of blue badges stolen in London alone increased by 400 per cent between 2014 and 2023, with the victims of this crime being those that rely on accessible parking in order carry out vital everyday activities. The BPA is now calling on local authorities and councils to be given greater ability and mechanisms to effectively tackle the issue and put a stop to this ongoing abuse. 'Perpetrators are currently not deterred by the limited consequences for their action,' the trade body said. The association has called on the Government to review the civil and criminal powers and resources available to tackle the problem, including consideration for introduction of penalty charges commensurate with the social impact of Blue Badge misuse. This is Money raised the statistics with the Department for Transport. A DfT spokesperson said: 'Exploitation of the Blue Badge scheme is completely unacceptable – it is a vital resource helping many people travel with confidence. 'We are supporting the police to tackle this issue by working closely with local authorities and have strengthened their powers to help them tackle fraud and misuse.' Participants who complete the Baywatch survey between 21 July and 15 August will be entered into a prize draw to win one of two £50 M&S gift cards and are encouraged to complete the survey multiple times during the campaign. A link to the survey can be found here
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Action over misuse of Barton-upon-Humber club's disabled parking
A school is introducing measures to stop people misusing its disabled parking comes after members of Barton Inclusive Football Club, based at Baysgarth Sports Village in Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire, reported difficulties and suffering verbal abuse while trying to use the new measures include a reporting system to highlight offenders, improved signs, patrols and community founder Sophie Bartup said: "For our players and some of our volunteers, being able to park close to the pitch is essential." The club, which has more than 300 members and 50 volunteers, caters for people with additional needs or long-term mental health difficulties, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service."We work really hard to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone," Ms Bartup said."We've been experiencing challenges at the site due to the misuse of disabled parking bays."What may not seem a big thing to some people, to us as a club and to our players it's really important that they feel they can park safely." 'Deeply concerned' The sports village is part of Baysgarth School, and head teacher Jade Driscoll said: "We are deeply concerned by recent incidents involving non-blue badge holders misusing accessible parking bays on our site, and we are taking proactive steps to address this issue."The school has recently increased the number of accessible parking of people misusing the parking facilities could be shared with the community policing Bartup said the measures taken by the school were appreciated by the club. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
You can't park there, mate! Facebook page tries to humiliate driver for parking his £160K Lamborghini in a disabled spot... but motorist has the ultimate clapback
A man accused of parking his luxury supercar in a disabled parking bay has defended himself with the ultimate 'clapback'. A Facebook page that regularly shares local news and updates in the Torquay area of Devon posted an image of a grey Lamborghini wonkily parked in what appeared to be a Blue Badge designated spot. In the background people could be seen walking around the car park, meanwhile various other cars were parked in allotted bays. Accompanying the photo was a caption that accused the motorist of 'depriving a disabled person of a space' with many adding to the backlash, including one person who claimed the driver didn't have the 'right to take other people's spaces'. 'Have Lamborghini so will park however and wherever I like, even if that means depriving a disabled person of a space' read the full caption. 'Just cause you own a car like that doesn't give you the right to take other people's spaces' exclaimed one person. 'We all pay for parking, whoever it is thinks he's above everyone else' they added. However a multitude of users empathised with the motorist, and pointed out that 'not all disabilities are visible'. 'Disabled people can drive lambos too' stated another. Elsewhere one user debated whether the parking bay could be used by families and said 'they [the motorist] might have their child with them'. Well an updated post certainly proved the 'haters' wrong as it showed an unknown man with a visible disability laying across the floor in front of the luxury sportscar. Tagged with the words 'a picture for all my fans', the image revealed the local to be a double amputee who had both his legs below the knee replaced with prosthetic limbs. In one hand the man displayed a document resembling a Blue Badge - the ultimate 'clapback' to the first post which suggested he wasn't within his rights to park there. A Blue Badge is a parking permit that lets disabled drivers and passengers park in designated disabled spaces. One commenter said the picture was the 'top five of all time'. 'I love this pic'. They wrote. 'I did ask if there was a blue badge. Almost didn't post but I'm kind of glad I did because this is a cracking pic, got to be top 5 of all time'. 'Absolute hero' commented another. 'Keep enjoying your car and winding up the self appointed parking police. People really do need to get a life'. Relating to the situation, one woman wrote: 'Love it. The amount of looks I get when I get out of my Sportage is unbelievable, with my blue badge... But I've gone past caring, especially now I've had a triple heart bypass'. 'You sir are a hero! People are too quick to judge these days' said another. Someone else wrote: 'Absolutely brilliant. Good on you for clapping back'. One person joked: 'Clearly just had his leg taken off just to get easy parking'. 'This made the news, and proven all the haters wrong, legendary' chimed another person. Meanwhile many users claimed they would use bays allocated for Blue Badge display holders whether they had a disability or not. While a multitude of users empathised with the motorist, others initially added to the backlash, including one person who claimed the driver didn't have the 'right to take other people's spaces' Blue Badge parking permits disabled drivers and passengers to park in designated disabled spaces. You automatically qualify for a blue badge if you are blind, receive a war pensioner's mobility supplement or the higher rate of the mobility component of the disability living allowance. All other applications are considered by local authorities on a case-by-case basis. One such reason that you have to qualify is if you have a permanent and severe disability which means you cannot walk or can only walk with severe difficulty. Generally children under the age of two are not eligible for a blue badge, as they are expected to use a pushchair at that age. But children over two may qualify for a blue badge if they have severe mobility problems. Certain children under the age of three may be eligible if they have a disability due to a medical condition and need to travel with bulky equipment, or be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment. Family members are allowed to use the blue badge as long as they are present with the disabled relative; using it without them present can result in a criminal conviction and a fine of more than £1,000. The laws for Blue Badge holders recently changed to include those with more hidden disabilities or disorders such as dementia, autism, stress, mental health disorders and anxiety.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bolton man's plea to council after they 'unfairly fine' him and his disabled wife
A Bolton man says he's been fined unfairly after parking in a disabled spot while on a seaside day out. James Abercrombie, 48, was in Lytham St Annes with his wife Rachel,46, who has fibromyalgia and uses a wheelchair, for a visit to a food festival. Mr Abercrombie, who lives in Deane, says that when the couple, who have a blue badge on their car, arrived at the resort's council-operated St Pauls Avenue car park, he pulled into a disabled bay, meaning that, according to the council's rule he did not have to pay for a ticket. To his surprise, though, a few days after he returned home from their day trip, he received a parking ticket and was ordered to pay £25, with a letter claiming that he was parked in a non-disabled bay. Read more: Read more: Private car park rule change to reduce fines for UK drivers Read more: 8,000 parking fines issued at Bolton Market car park (Image: Supplied) Mr Abercrombie says the pictures attached to the letter show his Skoda is parked in a disabled bay with hatched markings visible to the side of the car. A picture of Mr Abercrombie's Skoda parked up on the day he visited (Image: Supplied) "Either Fylde Council are blind and can't see I'm parked in a disabled bay, or they have just thought they'll have a stab at taking my money," the 48-year-old said. The couple have been fined an initial £25 for the ticket, which Mr Abercrombie hasn't paid and is disputing, but this will rise to £50 if not paid by May 28. St Pauls Avenue Car Park (Credit: Google Maps)He added: "We'd just come to Lytham for a food festival, and this has happened. "My wife has suffered with cancer and has fibromyalgia, so I push her around on a wheelchair, we just wanted to meet some friends and have a coffee. "You'd think Fylde would want to welcome disabled people for a more diverse audience, but clearly not. Mr Abercrombe says he parked in the middle spot marked with a wheelchair (Image: Supplied) "I could have parked on the double yellows, as we have the right to with a disabled badge, but that would inconvenience other drivers." Mr Abercrombie added: "If we have parked in a non-disabled bay, then it certainly wasn't clearly marked, and if so, why are there only two disabled bays if that's the case?" Fylde Council has been contacted, but has chosen not to comment. Their website states: "If you park in a designated disabled bay [with a blue badge] you can park free of charge for up to 3 hours." The Bolton man says that they were not parked for longer than three hours, and a letter from Fylde Council suggests they believe he parked in a non-disabled bay.
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Hackney Council: "Flawed" disabled parking system scrapped
Hackney Council has scrapped a "flawed" scoring system it used for disabled parking assessments which denied hundreds of residents of blue additional guidelines in this system were found to have caused "injustice".Councillor Christopher Kennedy, the borough's health and social care chief, confirmed the council would write to all 149 individuals refused a permit since January verdict came after resident Mrs D appealed to the regulator after the council refused to renew her blue badge, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 'Partially accepted' In April, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Amerdeep Comal, decided that Hackney's "flawed policy" went against government added that it had made it "very difficult for people with disabilities to qualify for a permit" and that it was "likely more people were also denied a permit when they would have qualified, had Hackney's guidance followed that of the government". During a cabinet meeting at the Town Hall, Mr Kennedy said Hackney Council honoured the regulator's ruling by apologising to Mrs D, paying her £500 and offering her another in-person added that the watchdog "did not tell us that Mrs D should be given a blue badge", but rather that she was entitled to another assessment without the flawed scoring Greens' co-leader, Zoë Garbett, asked the health and social care chief if the local authority had identified any lessons it had learned from the process to avoid a repeat of the Mr Kennedy said this was "very difficult" because of the circumstances under which she was given a blue badge in the first places."Mrs D was offered a permit without a physical in-person assessment during the pandemic," he said."Her subsequent desire to really investigate how we did our assessments was driven by the fact that the subsequent decisions from an in-person assessment did not match with what happened when there were no in-person assessments."However, he acknowledged the council had not "handled it very well as an organisation" and had communicated poorly with the resident, including getting her date of birth April, the watchdog said the council had only "partially" accepted its findings, and disputed the conclusion that it had caused injustice.A Town Hall spokesperson subsequently told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it accepted the findings but was "confident" the majority of blue badge applications were assessed correctly and would undertake a review to ensure processes were "fair and robust".
