Disabled Persons' Parking Badge Scheme
(The Blue Badge Scheme)

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

1.1.1 The Disabled Persons' Parking Badge Scheme was introduced in 1971. It is also known as the Blue Badge Scheme (formerly the Orange Badge Scheme). It is an on-street parking concession and does not apply to off-street car parks (although private landowners often provide concessions to badge holders).

1.1.2 Changes to regulations in 1975 extended concessions to badge holders by permitting vehicles displaying badges to park on yellow lines for a maximum of 2 hours in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (in Scotland there is no time limit). Badge holders are not allowed to park where there is a ban on loading and unloading or where there is a bus or cycle lane in operation. Authorities are able to impose a time limit on parking by badge holders in on-street spaces reserved for them.

1.1.3 The scheme (England, Wales and Scotland) was again reviewed in 1986, leading to a number of changes to the regulatory framework. This included extending the time limit for parking on yellow lines from 2 to 3 hours in England and Wales. Measures were introduced to curb abuse, for example by requiring a photograph on the badge. New guidance was also provided to local authorities to help improve the administration of the scheme.

1.1.4 There have also been changes to regulations affecting eligibility criteria: in 1975 when the scheme was extended to blind people; and in 1991 when it was extended to those with a severe disability in both upper limbs.

1.1.5 In April 2000, a new design of the disabled parking badge was introduced, in line with a recommendation of the Council of the European Union (98/376/EC) to harmonise the design of badges across member states. No changes were made to the eligibility criteria or the parking concessions available under the scheme. The new blue design is being phased in over the next two years.In Scotland and Wales, the responsibility for the scheme lies with the devolved administrations. The scheme is operated in England by County, Metropolitan District or Unitary Councils and in Wales and Scotland by Unitary Councils. Northern Ireland's scheme is subject to separate legislation from the rest of the UK and is administered by the Department for Regional Development.

1.1.6 A total of 2.23 million badges were on issue across the UK in March 2000.

1.1.7 The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) - the Government's statutory advisers on the transport needs of disabled people - submitted a paper to Ministers about the scheme in 1998, which covers issues such as eligibility criteria, administration and abuse. It highlighted the large variation in the discretionary aspects of the scheme in different areas and made a number of recommendations for changes.

1.1.8 Following DPTAC's report, a survey of local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales was carried out for the DTLR by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to examine their procedures for issuing parking badges. This survey confirmed wide variations between authorities in the criteria used to issue discretionary badges and in administrative practices.

1.2 The Current Review

1.2.1 DTLR, working with the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales and the Department for Regional Development Northern Ireland, commissioned MVA to carry out this review in order to support the development of an updated mobility scheme for disabled motorists which:

• meets the needs of those who need the concessions for independent mobility;
• minimises the potential for abuse;
• is fair, robust and justifiable.

1.3 Structure of the Discussion Paper

1.3.1 This paper summarises the main issues that were considered most important by the discussion groups convened by MVA in the first phase of this work. It covers a number of themes including eligibility, administration, concessions, enforcement and the implications of blue badge exemptions from WPPL and road user charging schemes. Some issues are presented individually while others that are interdependent are taken together to enable respondents to consider the full implications in framing their recommendations.

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Published: 17 December 2001

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