New approach to blue badge parking
From Cabinet Member For Transport, Highways and Infrastructure, Councillor Ted Richards on 03 October 2008
Solihull Council is taking a new approach to help drivers who use blue badges when they park in the borough.
Since October last year, Solihull Council has been responsible for parking enforcement, including that of blue badge holders. This has meant that if blue badge holders have not displayed their badge correctly, they have been issued with a parking ticket.
However, a number of issues have been raised by legitimate blue badge holders, which indicate that some have difficulty in understanding their blue badge guidelines.
Instances have included:
0 the badge being displayed the wrong way around, with no way of being able to tell if the badge is valid
0 no clock being displayed with the badge, with no way of telling how long the vehicle had been parked in the bay (maximum is three hours)
0 the details on the badge being hidden
As result of these issues, Solihull Council has decided to adopt a different approach to enforcing blue badge parking. Badge holders incorrectly displaying their badges will be issued with up to two warning notices with appropriate advice. Details of their badge and vehicle will be taken, and a third instance will result in them receiving a ticket.
Cllr Ted Richards, Cabinet Member for Transport, Highways and Infrastructure said: “We know there are more than 11,000 blue badge holders in the borough, and we have a responsibility to those people to ensure that disabled spaces are used by those who genuinely need them. Sadly some people do abuse the system, by photocopying badges, or even worse, keeping them after a relative has died. We need to catch those people and penalise them. However, we also know that some legitimate badge holders are not clear about how their badge should be used, and so we are introducing this policy to help them understand and ensure they get it right on future occasions.”
The policy will not be applied retrospectively, however, legitimate blue badge holders who have received a penalty notice and wish to appeal need to do so in writing to the Parking Services Team, Solihull Council, Church Hill House, Solihull, B91 9QS.
For media enquiries only, Angharad Lynch 0121 704 6164
Email: alynch@solihull.gov.uk