Disabled drivers to be forced to pay to park (From Daily Echo)
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Disabled drivers to be forced to pay to park
4:00am Friday 24th August 2012 in New Forest
By Chris Yandell, Chief Reporter, New Forest
Disabled drivers to be forced to pay to park
MORE than 10,000 disabled drivers could be forced to pay to park at beauty spots in the New Forest for the first time.
Blue Badge holders who live in the Forest and visitors will have to buy a ticket to use council-owned car parks under plans being drawn up by town hall bosses.
Alternatively they could purchase an annual parking clock, which could net the district council more than £1m.
Groups representing disabled drivers have hit out at the proposals, saying they amount to discrimination.
Helen Dolphin, of Disabled Motoring UK, said: “It takes the majority of disabled motorists longer to do their shopping than able-bodied drivers, which means they’ll end up paying more than other people.
“Some disabled motorists find it difficult to use payment machines.
“There’s also the possibility they will park in the street instead, which is far more dangerous for the disabled.”
The New Forest East branch of Age Concern also criticised the scheme.
Chief executive Jean Adams said: “A lot of older people are on very tight budgets and really rely on free parking to maintain their independence. If they have to pay to park it could impact on their quality of life.”
The council says the free parking concession is costing it tens of thousands of pounds a year in lost income.
There are about 10,200 disabled drivers in the district.
In Lymington it costs between 80p and £4 to park. Alternatively residents can buy an annual parking clock for £100 or £20, depending on whether they want to use long or short-stay spaces.
The council will net more than £1m if all 10,200 blue badge holders decide to buy one of the £100 clocks.
A council spokesman said: “The authority believes that, where reasonable, all motorists should pay to park as the income helps maintain the car parks and provides other services.
“It also feels that charging Blue Badge holders to park may reduce the incentive for badges to be used fraudulently.”
A report to the environment overview and scrutiny panel said the permits aim to help disabled people park near the places they wanted to visit and were not intended to benefit them financially.
But Councillor David Harrison, a former leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group, described the proposals as a tax on the disabled. He vowed that the Lib Dems would re-introduce free parking for all Forest residents if they gained control of the council at the next local elections in 2015.
The authority has launched a public consultation exercise that runs until September 14.
The council’s proposals do not affect woodland car parks owned by the Forestry Commission, all of which are free.
Comments(35)
solents
says...
6:38am Fri 24 Aug 12
Totton Ric wrote:I have to admit that I agree with you there bearing in mind also that there are a lot of disabled badge holders who are driven to places by friends or family and are aided by them to get around. The badge can be displayed in any car as long as one of the passengers is the holder.
Agree in a way & is not discrimination as a lot of disable drivers who are able to work & earn money then they should pay, it may seem to be discriminating non disable drivers from free car parking & in today’s world it’s about Equal Opportunities !, It should be free to Disable Drivers who are unable to work.
Everyone should pay their way. Like you say, it could appear discriminatory towards able bodied drivers otherwise.
FreeNelsonMantle
says...
7:02am Fri 24 Aug 12
Although, £100 for a years long stay parking is fantastic. Central Southampton your looking at £100 for a month!
dogbruce
says...
7:18am Fri 24 Aug 12
Juliek1958
says...
7:25am Fri 24 Aug 12
hulla baloo
says...
7:44am Fri 24 Aug 12
tootle
says...
7:51am Fri 24 Aug 12
meanmoodymidget
says...
7:59am Fri 24 Aug 12
Forest Resident
says...
8:26am Fri 24 Aug 12
meanmoodymidget wrote:The council may not be able to, but if the vehicle is left in a dangerous position causing an obstruction to the highway then the Police can always have it towed away instead. Blue badges are not a license to park wherever and however you please.
disable drivers just will park on the double yellow lines and there's nothing the money grabbing council can do about that !
Ellwood
says...
8:37am Fri 24 Aug 12
7:25am Fri 24 Aug 12
I am classified as disabled but do not avail to using a blue badge for my parking requirements, however if I did I would be happy to continue to pay. If my memory serves me right the Disabled Discrimination Act was initially introduced because disabled persons wanted to be treated as equals to able bodied persons wherever possible, surely getting free parking is discriminating against able bodied people and I agree that perhaps a capped 2 hour fee could be levied for disabled car park users.
................... I might just print this off and frame it!
Frank28
says...
10:09am Fri 24 Aug 12
SemajP
says...
10:15am Fri 24 Aug 12
johnm
says...
10:25am Fri 24 Aug 12
ohec
says...
10:28am Fri 24 Aug 12
sarfhamton
says...
10:33am Fri 24 Aug 12
ohec wrote:I doubt this to be true but i agree that everyone should pay.
Disabled does not necessarily mean poor in fact more often than not the disabled are the more affluent.
However, Disabled people need wide bays, with good access and as near to the facility, shop etc as possible and i hope this extra revenue is used to improve these things.
Georgem
says...
10:39am Fri 24 Aug 12
ohec wrote:I doubt there's much correlation at all between able-bodiedness and affluence.
Disabled does not necessarily mean poor in fact more often than not the disabled are the more affluent.
northam monkey
says...
10:57am Fri 24 Aug 12
dango
says...
11:00am Fri 24 Aug 12
dogbruce wrote:for example, the guy I saw yesterday sat in his Mercedes, eating a bag of chips parked on double yellow lines on Back of The Walls. There's a council car park right there, and an NCP car park but no, he had a blue badge so can half block the road sitting on double yellow lines and eat his chips free from getting a ticket. That is just plain wrong IMO.
Disabled drivers need to relise they cannot park just anywere,Bus lanes cycle lanes even on roundabouts ! How many family members and friends borrow the badge ??
ohec
says...
11:24am Fri 24 Aug 12
bazzeroz
says...
11:28am Fri 24 Aug 12
dango wrote:I'm not sure if this now applies but the person for which the badge is supplied must be OUT of the car for the badge to be legally displayed. (Correct me if I'm wrong) So, the person eating the chips must be the non disabled person. Also I would like to point out that hospital parking is now, in many hospitals not free for disabled drivers. As most are run by private companies they know that if the disabled driver has to pay then they, the disabled driver can claim it back as traveling expenses. This means that the parking company never looses, just the taxpayer!
dogbruce wrote:for example, the guy I saw yesterday sat in his Mercedes, eating a bag of chips parked on double yellow lines on Back of The Walls. There's a council car park right there, and an NCP car park but no, he had a blue badge so can half block the road sitting on double yellow lines and eat his chips free from getting a ticket. That is just plain wrong IMO.
Disabled drivers need to relise they cannot park just anywere,Bus lanes cycle lanes even on roundabouts ! How many family members and friends borrow the badge ??
100%HANTSBOY
says...
11:52am Fri 24 Aug 12
northam monkey wrote:Of course most of the abuse of blue badges is done by the able-bodied,not much point in disabled people abusing it,is there?
Hope most of the idiot's who have commented above give some proper thought about the day-to-day reality of being disabled, may also want to check the FACTS on blue badges and where most of the abuse of this scheme comes from able bodied people! the vast majority of disabled are far from affluent and as for the "privilage" of parking closer, I'm sure most would swap this for being able bodied
Inform Al
says...
12:35pm Fri 24 Aug 12
eurogordi
says...
12:39pm Fri 24 Aug 12
Shoong
says...
1:21pm Fri 24 Aug 12
Of the Ilk
says...
2:33pm Fri 24 Aug 12
I agree that there should be harsher penalties for friends and family who use Blue Badges incorrectly.
Georgem
says...
3:44pm Fri 24 Aug 12
dango wrote:What's that got to do with his blue badge? We could all do that, if we wanted. Just park there, sit in your car and eat. If a warden comes along, just drive off before he gets to you.
dogbruce wrote:for example, the guy I saw yesterday sat in his Mercedes, eating a bag of chips parked on double yellow lines on Back of The Walls. There's a council car park right there, and an NCP car park but no, he had a blue badge so can half block the road sitting on double yellow lines and eat his chips free from getting a ticket. That is just plain wrong IMO.
Disabled drivers need to relise they cannot park just anywere,Bus lanes cycle lanes even on roundabouts ! How many family members and friends borrow the badge ??
S!monOn
says...
4:58pm Fri 24 Aug 12
Georgem wrote:I assume with the blue badge if a warden comes along then you won't have to drive off or worry a warden is going to get you? Maybe thats what's got to do with his blue badge? Maybe.
dango wrote:What's that got to do with his blue badge? We could all do that, if we wanted. Just park there, sit in your car and eat. If a warden comes along, just drive off before he gets to you.dogbruce wrote: Disabled drivers need to relise they cannot park just anywere,Bus lanes cycle lanes even on roundabouts ! How many family members and friends borrow the badge ??for example, the guy I saw yesterday sat in his Mercedes, eating a bag of chips parked on double yellow lines on Back of The Walls. There's a council car park right there, and an NCP car park but no, he had a blue badge so can half block the road sitting on double yellow lines and eat his chips free from getting a ticket. That is just plain wrong IMO.
Georgem
says...
5:03pm Fri 24 Aug 12
S!monOn wrote:But that didn't happen. Dango is complaining that the guy was sat in his car, on yellow lines. I'm saying, we can all do that. If you're going to complain and whine, at least complain and whine about something that actually happened.
Georgem wrote:I assume with the blue badge if a warden comes along then you won't have to drive off or worry a warden is going to get you? Maybe thats what's got to do with his blue badge? Maybe.
dango wrote:What's that got to do with his blue badge? We could all do that, if we wanted. Just park there, sit in your car and eat. If a warden comes along, just drive off before he gets to you.dogbruce wrote: Disabled drivers need to relise they cannot park just anywere,Bus lanes cycle lanes even on roundabouts ! How many family members and friends borrow the badge ??for example, the guy I saw yesterday sat in his Mercedes, eating a bag of chips parked on double yellow lines on Back of The Walls. There's a council car park right there, and an NCP car park but no, he had a blue badge so can half block the road sitting on double yellow lines and eat his chips free from getting a ticket. That is just plain wrong IMO.
rightway
says...
5:15pm Fri 24 Aug 12
Disabled or not if you park on double yellow lines your car should be crushed.
This is mostly aimed at those who think the layby beside John Lewis, which has double yellow lines, is their personal parking space.
They seem fit enough to walk around John Lewis for two hours but they can't manage to park across the road then walk from the proper parking spaces.
Talk about playing the system.......
Brite Spark
says...
7:02pm Fri 24 Aug 12
(PS They get the best parking spaces as it is).
Of the Ilk
says...
7:53pm Fri 24 Aug 12
Brite Spark wrote:I hope you never need to ap[ply for a Blue Badge
Disabled people to be treated the same as normal people, we can't have that can we?!
(PS They get the best parking spaces as it is).
Facewagon
says...
11:52pm Fri 24 Aug 12
Brite Spark wrote:Oh, those lucky disabled people! I wish I was disabled or dying of cancer or something, just so I could get access to 'the best spaces'.
Disabled people to be treated the same as normal people, we can't have that can we?!
(PS They get the best parking spaces as it is).
Twit.
bazzeroz
says...
12:19am Sat 25 Aug 12
ohec
says...
10:30am Sat 25 Aug 12
johnm wrote:Because a very high proportion of those on the higher rate are con merchants and i for one object most strongly to providing them with a free car let alone free parking to go with it, there are thousands of pensioners out there who are on a lower income than the disabled that struggle to run a car and pay to park, everybody should pay and on road parking for Blue Badge holders should also be severely restricted.
W|hy don't they do what some neighbouring councils do. Free parking for tax exempt vehicles, which you can get if you are on the higher disability allowance and need a car.
BenjiWinsor
says...
11:43am Tue 4 Sep 12
Just want to point out the the Disability Discrimation Act has been replaced now by the Equality Act 2010.
Totton Ric says...
6:05am Fri 24 Aug 12