If you drive a blue badge holder

[lankeela]

to get their shopping but they don't get out of the car while you go into the shop, are you allowed to park in a disabled bay?

[boxtops]

Strictly speaking I'd say not, the badge is supposed to make things easier for the disabled person, not their driver.

[mikey4444]

As long as the badge holder is present in the car, then all the normal rules apply.

But if you are fit and healthy, why would you take one of the few spaces allocated to real disabled people ?

What happens if a genuine disabled person comes along after you, and can't find anywhere to park because you have taken allocated place ?

[lankeela]

I agree totally, I look after two disabled people and wont use the disabled spaces if I take them shopping, but on another group someone said it was illlegal to use the spaces if the disabled person didn't get out of the vehicle.

[EDDIE51]

Yes , as long as the car is being used for the benefit of the badge holder you can use the badge and the disabled parking bays.
For example my wife has a blue badge, if I am going to get the shopping I can use the badge and the disabled bay as it is for the benefit of the disabled person.
In theory the badge holder should be in the car but if questioned you only have to say he/she is in the shop/doctors/hospital or what ever and you are waiting to pick them up, there is nothing a traffic warden or police man can do as long as you actually dispay the badge.

[hc4361]

No. The badge is to enable the disabled person to get to their destination, not the other occupants of the car who do not have a blue badge.

I think there is some confusion because if a blue badge holder also qualifies for the 'disabled tax' disc then another person is allowed to drive that vehicle without the blue badge holder as long as he is she is running errands for the badge holder, but they cannot use the blue badge.

[boxtops]

That's what I thought, hc

[mikey4444]

In other words eddie, use up a disabled parking space and stop a genuine
person from parking there ...public spirited behaviour at its best !

[hc4361]

Sorry, Eddie, but you are wrong. If you are on the public highway parked in a disabled bay or on yellow lines a police officer or traffic warden can ask to examine the badge and if you are not the badge holder and the badge holder is not with you, you will be issued a FPN.

The badge holder would need to prove he or she was in the local area having been driven by you.

[mikey4444]

PS...you don't work for Barclays by any chance do you ?

[gness]

Eddie. Are you fit and able bodied?

[hc4361]

Not only can you receive a FPN the badge holder can also lose the blue badge entitlement for allowing it to be abused.

It is no good leaving the badge holder in the car whilst you do the shopping either.

[daffy654]

As a former blue badge holder I can tell you that you are not allowed to use the badge or park in a disabled bay if the disabled person is staying in the vehicle.

[EDDIE51]

lankeela, you take disabled people shopping but do not use the disabled bays ? What planet are you on ? That is the very reason for the existence of disabled bays.
Relatvely few disabled people drive themselves most have a partner/ friend/ relative who drives them .
There is a lot of b*llocks being spouted here ,a disabled badge can be used as long as the journey is for the benefit of that person. Let us suppose that you take a disabled person to a hospital appointment and that appointment is a few hours long, so you drive home and come back to pick them up. Under your view of things when you come back you can not use the disabled bays as they do not get out of the car , totally destroys the entire point of having disabled bays/ badges.

[hc4361]

"It is an offence for non-disabled motorists to park in an on-street space reserved for disabled people"

http://www.direct.gov...l1/Newsroom/DG_194621

[hc4361]

Eddie, you are the one who is in the wrong. Get the badge out of the car now and read it.

[rosyherb]

i do a lot of surveys in car parks and the number of inconsiderate selfish people out there is quite astounding...
Parent and Baby spaces is another.. the number of people who park with over 8s leaving those with babys/toddlers to park in the main carpark, or the kids dont get out at all....

The blue badge is for use ONLY when the reciepient is in the car and needs to access local services/facilities themselves - ie get out.
Badges can be removed for improper use, and i understand that the badge holder can be fined too...

[hc4361]

The Blue Badge is for your use only, and it is an offence to allow other people to use it. It is also an offence to park in an on-street Blue Badge parking bay without displaying a badge.

If you think that a Blue Badge is being misused you should:

get as many details as possible from the badge on display
report the matter to your local authority

The maximum fine for someone convicted is £1,000 plus any additional penalty for the related parking offence.

http://www.direct.gov...adgescheme/DG_4001061

[mikey4444]

Lankeela's original point was that an able-bodied person did the shopping, while the disabled person stayed in the car. I am sure that I have got that right.

So why would the able-bodied person need to use a special bay, reserved for people who need it ? The disabled person can sit quite happily in the car in any other bay, while a newly arriving disabled person may be prevented from using a disabled bay because of the thoughtless action of other people.

Sorry to sound like Mr Spock but isn't that logical ?

Why can't some people see common sense ?

[EDDIE51]

My car is registered as 'Disabled' and my wife has a blue badge. I can use the car as long as it is for her benefit. In reality there is no way that it could be proved that on a specific occasion the car was not being used 'for her benefit'
For example if I was collecting friends/relatives to bring them to her birthday party that would class as 'for her benefit' .

[mikey4444]

Carry on eddie, making life difficult for genuine disabled people !