The Dreaded Parking Problem

[sad old git]

a few days ago a house further down my street had a disabled parking space painted on the road in front of their property. Does this mean that it is sacrosanct and no one is allowed to park there other than the residents of whoever applied for the space..We have many arguements about this in my local but no one can come up with a possitive answer so can anyone help? sorry if my spelling is a bit off but my brain is wearing out......aob.

[fairfax]

anyone with a blue badge can park there but no one else.the space does not become just for one disabled person but anyone with a blue badge.

[BlueToffee]

I agree fairfax.

[EDDIE51]

You can't apply for your own disabled parking space. There have to be a certain number of them so this one has been designated by the local council as a disabled bay. As said anyone with a disabled blue badge can use it.

[cassa333]

Oh. I have always been told that a household can apply for disable space outside their house providing they meet the crtiteria of course. And that they were for the disabled badge holder only.

Mind you if that were the case there would be thousands about. Although to be fare they are breeding now a days lol

[cazzz1975]

I concur with fairfax

[hc4361]

A disabled person can apply for a disabled bay outside their home, if the council agrees it is necessary in the circumstances (and the council has the money).

Any blue badge holder can use that space but the parking facility is discretionary and not the law, so anyone can park in it. A complaint can be made to the police about a non-blue badge holder parking in the space but they won't necessarily take action.

In fact a disabled bay outside one's home is less restrictive to other road users than a dropped kerb. It is now illegal to park alongside a dropped kerb so nobody, blue badge holder or not, can park in that space.

[sad old git]

thanks to you all for your help. I guess it must remain under the title of ambiguous answers.

[factor-fiction]

>"I guess it must remain under the title of ambiguous answers."

The answers seem to me to be UNambiguous and, with the exception of one, consistent.

[heathfield]

Round my way, parking in an on-street "Disabled" parking bay without a blue badge is a council matter, (i.e. traffic warden), and not a police matter. But check to see whether the bay is accompanied by this notice on a pole at the bay...

http://www.ticketfighter.co.uk/images/disabledbay.JPG

Without that notice, the bay has no legal status.

Scroll down to Disabled Parking here...

http://www.ticketfighter.co.uk/parking.htm

[hc4361]

There is no pole for a bay outside a disabled person's house - it is advisory only.

[Khandro]

If you try to look at the issue from the perspective of a disabled driver, you can see perhaps the importance for handicapped people to have parking spaces at regular intervals throughout your neighbourhood, if you are fortunate enough to be sound in wind and limb, walking from your car to your door is not such a hardship as it is for the disabled.

[boxtops]

we had a disabled bay in our road until a few weeks back (when the person moved away), that had a pole and sign next to it.

[hc4361]

What council are you in, boxtops?

[hc4361]

Apologies, there may be a pole and sign but it is still advisory only. From Northants Council?


The sign and line are advisory only and cannot be enforced by County Council
personnel or the police. This means the sign and line will be ineffective if not
respected by your neighbours

http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/Transport/parking/Documents/PDF%20Documents/Disabled%20Marking%20-%20Application.pdf

[boxtops]

we're in Kent, hc - I know there was a sign, the pole is still there.

[hc4361]

Yes, I'm mistaken. At one time there was no sign and pole for such a bay, road markings only.

It is still unenforceable though.

[heathfield]

Depends, HC. If the local council has raised a "Traffic Regulation Order" (TRO) for a disabled parking bay, it is a 'contravention of regulations' for a non holder of a blue badge to park in that bay. The council can then issue a "Penalty Charge Notice". But if a TRO has not been raised for the bay, then no offence is committed. Here's what Brighton and Hove Council have to say...

http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1246219

[jeanijay]

I dont know where you are getting you info from 'hc' but I can assure you that it is enforcable, when I am actually not a passenger in our car the badge is removed and not in use if my husband is alone, he forgot to replace it on one occasion when he parked on the bay and he was given a parking ticket as many drivers are around our town, also a pole has been there for over twenty years. Everything is open to abuse the blue badge is no exception but my god for me as a truly crippled person it is a godsend