Blue Badge Use/Rules

[bassett one 449]

i agree with that,that blue badges for cars must be used as described ,its a great way for disabled to get around,people who abuse or miss use them are horrid people,but the parking at the hallamshire is a disgrace and needs sorting for eveyone asap.please note you can use the pub carpark  across the road for a small fee if that helps,but maybe we should have better public transport and that way we can ease parking,or get scc to provide a area as a overflow car park 

[Planner1 428]

3 hours ago, kidley said:

misuse of the blue badge is illegal

 

C&P 

 

My Bold

 

It is a criminal offence for you or anyone else to misuse a badge. You must never copy the badge, try to alter the details or continue to display the badge when you no longer need it.

Misusing a badge could lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

Yes indeed, but the definition of misuse does not include the badge holder parking and staying in the car to wait for someone else.

 

The guidance on badge holder rights and responsibilities says they “should” not do this, which means it is undesirable, but not an offence.

Edited May 4, 2019 by Planner1

[Planner1 428]

40 minutes ago, bassett one said:

i agree with that,that blue badges for cars must be used as described ,its a great way for disabled to get around,people who abuse or miss use them are horrid people,but the parking at the hallamshire is a disgrace and needs sorting for eveyone asap.please note you can use the pub carpark  across the road for a small fee if that helps,but maybe we should have better public transport and that way we can ease parking,or get scc to provide a area as a overflow car park 

Why would you think that it is the responsibility of SCC to provide hospital car parking?

 

And where is this “area” you think could be used for a car park?

 

The NHS provide parking for their visitors. There’s a multi storey at the Hallamsire and another not far away at the Children’s. If there’s not enough, that’s their responsibility, not SCC’s.

 

The Hallamshire is pretty well served by buses. SYPTE tried to get a tram extension up to the Hallamshire and Broomhill, but the government turned down the funding request.

[tlangdon12 13]

I was both pleased and frustrated at the Northern General today. I had to take someone into A&E and was somewhat frustrated to find disabled parking at A&E but nowhere where I could park to drop off someone who couldn't walk! Why would you provide disabled parking at A&E but no parking for injured people arriving as emergencies?

 

What did please me was I was able to move the car after booking the injured person into A&E without getting a ticket for parking in a disabled bay, and got a parking space in one of the main car parks close to A&E.  

[BigAl1 143]

On 4 May 2019 at 01:45, Planner1 said:

No, they can't drive off and use the badge elsewhere. The blue badge holder has to be in the car with them when they park.

 

If they use the badge when the owner is not present they can get a parking ticket and be prosecuted in court for fraudulent use of the badge, which carries a fine of up to £1000 and results in a criminal record.

How many prosecutions last year in Sheffield and what was the average fine

[Planner1 428]

8 hours ago, amnicoll said:

How many prosecutions last year in Sheffield and what was the average fine

You’d have to ask SCC.

 

Last time I checked they were happening all the time, batches of prosecutions going to court most months. Fines are very variable as they depend on how the magistrates view the actual offence and the means of the defendant.

 

Its the criminal prosecution that scares offenders the most. If you have a job where you have to declare it (SCC employees have to ) you could get fired. 

 

SCC Prosecutions get get reported in the Star when they happen. Rotherham Council also prosecute offenders and they also get reported in the Star.

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

As a blue badge holder/user for many years I do try to adhere to the rules, after all it's a privilege to be able to park close to the shop entrance. Reading this post has got me thinking. If I take my scooter I park and leave the car in the disabled bay and scooter off until my business is concluded, load the scooter up and then depart.  That's well within the rules. But if I go with my better half she nips off to get her bits while I scooter round for mine then probably get a coffee while she appears at the coffee shop. If she has not got back before I sup up, I go back to the car load the scooter up and wait for her. Now if there are other disabled bays available I wait in the bay, if they do get full I move away to an ordinary bay (close) so I can see when she appears from the shop, a quick toot on the hooter draws her attention, she loads up and off we go.  I suppose moving from the disabled bay on my return would be the "right" thing to do though, even if there are empty ones available.

 

Angel1.

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

2 hours ago, Planner1 said:

You’d have to ask SCC.

 

Last time I checked they were happening all the time, batches of prosecutions going to court most months. Fines are very variable as they depend on how the magistrates view the actual offence and the means of the defendant.

 

Its the criminal prosecution that scares offenders the most. If you have a job where you have to declare it (SCC employees have to ) you could get fired. 

 

SCC Prosecutions get get reported in the Star when they happen. Rotherham Council also prosecute offenders and they also get reported in the Star.

As a personal point of view, I would not like any one able bodied to lose their job for parking illegally in a disabled bay. Fine them £20 and tell them to behave is punishment enough I think.

 

Angel1. 

[katekate 15]

Regarding the disabled parking at Northern General A + E.   Having broke my foot and it was extremely painful my partner took me to the above department and parked in a disabled spot as I could not walk and he had to help me in.  He returned immediately to the car and another driver started shouting at him as she was disabled and wanted the spot he had parked in.  He explained that I was unable to walk and I needed help to get into the department and she said 'well if you park there you need a blue badge'.   She then got out of  her car and started waving her blue badge at him.  He told her that whilst he appreciated that she was 'disabled' she was quick enough to jump out of the car to wave the badge at him and was able to walk fine.  The parking there is totally wrong,  people with broken bones are having to walk from another car park whilst the registered disabled people can park in these spots even if they can walk fine.  Not thought out very well.

[medusa 16]

32 minutes ago, katekate said:

Regarding the disabled parking at Northern General A + E.   Having broke my foot and it was extremely painful my partner took me to the above department and parked in a disabled spot as I could not walk and he had to help me in.  He returned immediately to the car and another driver started shouting at him as she was disabled and wanted the spot he had parked in.  He explained that I was unable to walk and I needed help to get into the department and she said 'well if you park there you need a blue badge'.   She then got out of  her car and started waving her blue badge at him.  He told her that whilst he appreciated that she was 'disabled' she was quick enough to jump out of the car to wave the badge at him and was able to walk fine.  The parking there is totally wrong,  people with broken bones are having to walk from another car park whilst the registered disabled people can park in these spots even if they can walk fine.  Not thought out very well.

At least two of the parking spots outside A&E are drop off spots, not disabled parking.  I noticed them when I was taking someone to A&E a few weeks ago.  Nobody would expect someone with broken bones to be walking from other car parks.

[Planner1 428]

3 hours ago, ANGELFIRE1 said:

As a personal point of view, I would not like any one able bodied to lose their job for parking illegally in a disabled bay. Fine them £20 and tell them to behave is punishment enough I think.

 

Angel1. 

The issue isn’t about incorrect use of a disabled bay. If you park in one of those and haven’t got a blue badge, you get a parking ticket ( which is more than £20 incidentally)

 

The problem is, there are people who systematically abuse blue badges, often belonging to their parents, relatives, or even their children. 

 

The benefit they they get from this is far in excess of what they lose if they get the occasional parking ticket. Blue badges are often fraudulently used by commuters, so if you calculate that they save £5 every working day, they are still in front if they get a ticket every couple of weeks. Some of these people are very clever and do it in ways and locations where they can claim that the badge was correctly used and they just overstayed.

 

Remember that as well as use of a disabled bay, the blue badge entitles the holder to park for free in Council car parks, on Council on-street pay and display bays and on single or double yellow lines. So, it offers the user a very big advantage.

 

Before blue badge fraud prosecutions were introduced, it was very demoralising for enforcement officers trying to uphold the rules, as the misusers often just laughed in their faces.

 

However, the picture is now rather different when, as well as a parking ticket, they are facing a visit to court, a potential fine of up to £1000 ( plus costs of £400+), having a criminal record and being publicly shamed in the press. The blue badge will probably also be revoked.

 

Abuse of blue badges also undermines the credibility of the blue badge scheme, so the prosecutions are widely supported by badge holders.

 

Anyone who abuses a blue badge is gaining an unfair advantage by deception / dishonesty, so I would think it right that an employer would question whether they would want anyone convicted for such an offence to be in a position of trust, or working for them at all.

Edited May 5, 2019 by Planner1

[katekate 15]

I wasn't aware that there were drop off bays at A + E.  The woman in question maybe did not know either.  She was telling us that broken bone or not if we didn't have a blue badge we could not park there.