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Plans for free blue badges

Disabled drivers in Wales to get a free blue badge – and those in England could, too

Plans for free blue badges

22nd December 2011

Disabled drivers in Wales will now get their blue parking badge for free, thanks to a decision by the Welsh Assembly to scrap the costly laws making it compulsory to place ads in local newspapers warning about roadworks.

By not running the adverts, the authorities stand to save over £1million, which will be spent on disabled badges for motorists with severe mobility problems. A disabled parking badge in Wales costs £2 and around 230,000 motorists there currently hold one.

The move comes as a new report by the Local Government Association (LGA) revealed that around £200m will be spent in England and Wales over the next five years on advertising statutory notices in local papers.

The LGA wants a similar law in England, but the Department for Communities and Local Government said this isn’t likely any time soon.

We want to know how you gather information about road works in your area? Do you read the local newspapers, listen to the radio or browse the Internet? And would you rather see your local council spending this money in other areas?

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6 Comments

Back to basics

The blue badge scheme needs a radical overhaul before spending anymore money. This is a scheme that whilst it is very worthwhile for the tiny minority that genuinely need help with mobility is widely abused by the majority. The Government must deal with this problem before they start issuing the passes FOC as this mney is badly needed in other areas that could be deemed more important. Lets face it the £2 that users currently pay is hardly a huge amount of money, what does that equate to two hours pay & display parking??

By Correcting_Reports on 23 December, 2011, 10:11am

Save the money!

In response to the question of how I check for roadworks the answer is the internet, I'd never rely on a local paper.

By aje21 on 23 December, 2011, 1:13pm

Farce

I know of people that have been granted disabled parking badges for very minor injuries - but abuse the system for the impressive parking priviledges it grants them, or the people they lend the badge to! I also see people ridiculously and inconsiderately parked with the excuse of having a blue badge draped across their dashboard.

In addition, I lived somewhere once where a resident in the flats opposite demanded the council put a disabled parking bay outside MY house for his huge executive car. Funny then how he suddenly moved away when he was filmed lifting heavy equipment from his expensive car then carrying it up stairs with no trouble - he obviously valued his hefty disability pension fraudulantly claimed from his employer more than his personalised parking space.

By gavsmit on 24 December, 2011, 11:06pm

What a truly ludicrous attempt at spin

So, the Welsh are going to save disabled people the £2 it now costs for a blue badge. Very big of them. I would imagine that simply administering the funds costs more than the fee. As for the money to pay for it being generated from the removal of statutory advertising requirements - that's frankly b******s of the highest order.

By snappyuk on 27 December, 2011, 11:46pm

disabled my a- - - e

From what ive seen 99.9percent of those walking away from
there cars are FIT and able to walk around town a blooming site faster and farther than me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

By firestorm on 28 December, 2011, 7:56pm

Hmm

Why is it free in Wales and not in England ? why the inequality?


DrAbs
http://mylookathealth.blogspot.com

By DrAbs on 29 December, 2011, 9:57am

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