Disabled parking permit
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A Disabled Person's Parking Permit, otherwise known as a 'Blue Badge', 'disabled parking permit', 'handicapped permit', or 'disabled badge' is a permit that can be displayed in a vehicle carrying a person whose mobility would be otherwise significantly impaired by one or more of age, illness, disability or infirmity. The permit allows partial or total exemption from charges or penalties associated with the parking of a motor vehicle used by a badge-holder, and shows entitlement to use of dedicated parking bays and off-street parking (where they are provided). The concession extends in some places to partial or total exemption from tolls or general prohibitions on where a vehicle can be driven. Since 2000, all general disabled parking permits in the European Union (EU) have been standardised to a common style and blue colour, leading to the officially-used designation 'Blue Badge'. A Blue Badge issued in one country of the EU is generally given equal recognition in others with various exceptions as described for the countries below.
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[edit] Denmark
[edit] General Exceptions
A Disabled Person's Parking Disk ("Clock" - see England and Wales) is required in addition to a Blue Badge in some parking places.
[edit] Republic of Ireland
Disabled Persons' Parking Permits are issued by the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland; an application fee of 25 Euro is required. The scheme and its application in Ireland are described on the Citizens Information / Comhairle website (Main Page http://www.cidb.ie ).
[edit] United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom (UK), this scheme of permits was originally introduced (using Orange Badges) by the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. Existing unexpired Orange Badges will remain valid for a few years.
Badges are issued as a right if a person meets certain statutory requirements, most of which are associated with actually being in receipt of certain disability benefits from the national Social Security system; additionally, a local authority can make concessionary issues of badges to persons who have a permanent disability which does not fall directly within the more rigid statutory requirements but which seriously impairs their mobility.
[edit] General exceptions
- The Great Britain (GB) Blue Badge scheme does not apply to parking away from public roads and local authority car parks, with the general concessions often not recognised at ports, airports and railway stations unless the operators have provided voluntary parking privileges.
[edit] England and Wales
In England and Wales Blue Badge holders are required (unless signs show otherwise) to display a Disabled Person's Parking Disk ("Clock") showing the time the vehicle was first parked so that a time limit can be enforced. Badge holders from elsewhere in the European Union will need to obtain a Clock (obtainable from their Issuing Office in the UK) to validate their badge otherwise the vehicle will be treated as if no badge was displayed
- Local differences in parking rules
- In London the volume of traffic has led to restrictions upon the national scheme in some areas with local colour schemes used to restrict standard concessions to local residents, for example the permits are green in Camden, white in Westminster, purple in Kensington and Chelsea, and red in the City of London. In these cities and boroughs special rules and parking spaces are provided for Blue Badge holders.
- Similar local schemes operate in other large towns or cities in the UK, for example Norwich operates a 'green badge scheme'.
[edit] Scotland
In Scotland a local authority Parking Attendant (in addition to police and traffic wardens) has the power to inspect a Blue Badge; failure to allow this inspection is an offence. There are also proposals to extend the issue of badges to small children and a wider range of (temporarily or permanently) disabled people.
[edit] Northern Ireland
The standard scheme only generally applies to on-street parking and is outlined on the Roads Service web site. A "White Badge" is required for access to Pedestrian Zones.
[edit] Parking Maps
Directgov [1] provides a service that covers country wide customized maps for Blue Badge Holders with different base colors reflecting councils policies on Blue Badge Holder's parking. In addition to council policies this service also pin points the location of different features specific to disabled community.
