Blue badges allow more freedom to park for children with disabilities. They are now accepted throughout Europe.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Scheme allows a car displaying a current badge with a disabled person as a passenger or driver to park:
Without charge or time limit at parking meters on the street and in Pay and Display bays.
Without time limits in streets which have time restrictions within them.
For a maximum of three hours on single or double yellow lines.
ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?
The disabled person should not be IN the car when it is parked and there are some restrictions on the car….
The blue parking disc should be displayed, showing the time of arrival.
The car should not parked in a bus or cycle lane while there are restrictions on the use of those lanes.
The car should not be parked in a loading bay.
All the usual parking regulations should be observed e.g. it should not be causing an obstruction
WHO CAN HAVE A BLUE BADGE?
In order to quality for a Blue Badge, a child must be two or over and:
Be receiving the higher rate mobility of DLA (Disability Living Allowance), or
Be registered blind, or
Have a ‘permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking’.
WHERE DO I GET A BLUE BADGE AND HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
You can obtain a Blue badge from the Local Authority based in County Hall, Haverfordwest. Pembrokeshire charges a small fee for preparing the badge. Telephone 01437 764551
WHAT IF I AM REFUSED A BLUE BADGE?
If the Local Authority refuses to issue a Blue Badge because they do not think your child has ‘a very considerable difficulty in walking’ there is no formal right of appeal. You could see your Councillor or Citizen’s Advice Bureau to see if they can help you. The only formal right of appeal is if you have been denied a badge on grounds of ‘misuse’ – then you can appeal to the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions.