Blue badge holders in Calderdale are being reminded of the rules and regulations around the use of their blue badges.
The blue badge scheme is for people with severe mobility problems. Across the UK, the misuse of blue badges is a problem. To really crack down on the issue in Calderdale, the Council will shortly be hosting a targeted action day to make sure that blue badges aren’t abused.
Blue badge holders can park free of charge and without time limit in any on street pay and display area as long as they clearly display their blue badge in the vehicle. In Calderdale this benefit is also transferred to the Council managed car parks, but badge holders must ensure they comply with the terms and conditions of the car park by parking within in a marked bay. Parking on yellow lines in a car park is not allowed.
It’s the responsibility of the badge holder to ensure that they use the blue badge properly. It’s a criminal offence to misuse the badge, and doing so could lead to a £1,000 fine and confiscation of the badge. Making sure that the scheme is not abused will benefit genuine badge holders.
Calderdale Council is also reminding people that the badge should only be used for the purpose it was issued for. It must only be displayed if the person holding the badge is travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting them or dropping them off and needs to park at the place where they are being collected or dropped. Blue badges must never be given to friends or family to allow them to park for free, even if they are visiting the badge holder.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, Cllr Barry Collins, said:
“The misuse of blue badges is an issue across the UK and Calderdale is no exception. It’s really important that those who have blue badges use them for the reasons why they were issued in the first place.
“Not only is it illegal to misuse a blue badge, parking spaces for disabled people are taken up that could be used by people who genuinely need the space. Our day of action will help us to establish the extent of the issue in Calderdale and help us to take action on those not using the scheme properly.”
Malcolm Kielty, Member of the Calderdale Disability Partnership said:
“We’re really pleased that action is being taken to address this issue. The action days should hopefully reduce misuse of the scheme and make people realise that blue badges should be used properly.
“We hope that the action days also help make people realise that parking bays for disabled people are there for a reason. I am a full time wheelchair user myself and an independent driver. On several occasions, I’ve experienced drivers who sometimes have no blue badge displayed, clearly parking in bays designated for blue badge holders. When this happens, wheelchair users like myself have to try and find a non-designated bay with enough room at the side of our cars to unload our wheelchairs so we can go about our daily lives. This makes life harder and more dangerous than it should be.”
For more information about the use of blue badges, visit the national blue badge guidance(external link) pages. Alternatively, visit Calderdale Council’s parking services web pages or call 01422 288001.