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#bluebadge — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #bluebadge, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Swansea ranks among UK’s worst for Blue Badge parking misuse, new data shows

    New data released by mobility specialists CareCo reveals the scale of illegal parking in disabled bays, with Swansea responsible for 7.1% of all UK misuse cases in 2024. That places the city sixth nationally, ahead of major urban areas including Westminster, Bristol and Glasgow.

    Only a handful of the UK’s largest cities — including Birmingham, Bournemouth, London and Cardiff — recorded higher levels of misuse.

    The figures come from freedom of information responses submitted to more than 400 councils, and highlight how often disabled parking bays are being used illegally — leaving Blue Badge holders, elderly residents and people with limited mobility struggling to access essential services.

    Across the UK, more than 45,000 penalty charge notices were issued last year for vehicles parked in accessible bays without the required permit — an average of 123 incidents every day.

    With fines ranging from £70 to £130, the data suggests drivers misusing disabled bays paid more than £3.16 million in penalties in 2024.

    Top 10 Visual hotspots for accessible parking misuse

    William Harrison, founder of CareCo, said:

    Accessible parking bays are a vital resource. When they are unavailable, those who need them most can be prevented from attending appointments, visiting shops, or living with their own vital independence. This high demand is under increased pressure from both misuse and lack of availability.

    Swansea Council was among the authorities that responded to the FOI request, contributing to the national dataset. The figures show Swansea’s rate of misuse is higher than several larger UK cities, raising questions about enforcement, demand and the availability of accessible bays across the city.

    In a statement to Swansea Bay News, a spokesperson from Swansea Council said:

    “Accessible parking provision is vital for motorists who have limited mobility and rely on being able to park their vehicle near to local amenities.

    “We do all we can to ensure these parking spaces are used properly and our parking enforcement team will continue to issue PCNs to motorists that are not permitted to use them.”

    CareCo, which says it supports more than 2.8 million Blue Badge holders through its mobility advice and products, says it hopes the findings will spark a wider conversation about accessibility and independence.

    #accessibleParking #blueBadge #disabledParking #motoring #ParkingFine #PCN #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil
  2. Interesting that there are toll exemptions for holders. I wonder how they'll manage that, given that the badge is for a *person*, not a vehicle. You can have a badge without even being able to drive, you can use it in any car you are traveling in - your partner's vehicle, your parents' or your childrens' vehicles, a friend or neighbour's vehicle, a hire car, ... bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c33zdz

  3. @SkyNews Free parking for blue badge holders in pay-and-display spaces is discretionary, so don't take it for granted. My mother has one for her very visible Parkinsons. #parkinsons #parkinsonsdisease #BlueBadge #BlueBadgeholders #disabledparking

  4. This entire country does absolutely everything to bend over backwards for drivers, unless you're disabled.

    This is appalling that disabled people are still treated like this - for years, plus years since the Board's resignation in protest.

    thejournal.ie/disabled-drivers

    #Disability #Ableism #A11y #DisabledDriving #BlueBadge

  5. #Twitter restores blue tick to high profile accounts

    Twitter restores the verified blue badge to accounts that insist they did not pay for a subscription.

    > but their #credibility is lost, and there really isn’t any doubt to give it a benefit of.
    #bluecheck #BlueBadge #BlueTick

    bbc.co.uk/news/technology-6536

  6. Don't you just love it when you park in a disabled space, with your blue badge, & because you listen to Rock music and don't dress like Jeremy Clarksons Dad, all the OAPs "tut" & shake thier heads at you in disgust.

    It's a Disabled Parking Space not a Gammon Parking Zone. FFS.

    "You don't look disabled!"

    Well you don't look stupid, yet here we are!

    #Disabilty #DisabilityAwareness #BlueBadge #DisabledParking #AngryGammons #DisabledFedi