Blue Badge Parking... Free... maybe?

[my-spirit-soars-free]

Our local hospital provides a park and ride service, but the busses can't take my wheelchair.

 

They charge for parking on site, but it used to be free for blue badge holders. The private company who run it have now put signs up saying that parking is only free if you are lucky enough to get one of the 6 blue badge spaces, otherwise you have to pay. Given that there is nothing done about people without blue badges in the blue badge spaces, it is extremely rare to find a blue badge space - last time I had an 8:30 appointment 3 were occupied, and an ambulance was across the other 3.

 

Any suggestions? I am there every 2 weeks, I cannot use the park and ride to keep costs down, and it is getting to the stage where I am asking for fewer appointments just to avoid the charges.

[dx100uk]

WELL IF YOU READ A FEW THREADS HERE YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE IS ACTUALLY LITTLE THEY CAN DO TO YOU EVEN IF YOU DONT PAY.

 

IF IT WERE ME, I'D PUT MY BADGE [oopps sorry caps]

 

in my window and not pay for a ticket ever.

 

regaRdless to where you park.

 

dx

[my-spirit-soars-free]

Sadly it is an exit barrier, so you have to put the ticket in it. As a blue badge holder you have to take your blue badge to the car oark attendant, and he issues you with an exit ticket - but they now ask which is your car, as well.

[Conniff]

Well if there is no barrier on the in entrance, use that to exit. They can't enforce any road regulations in the park, so any arrows etc; painted on the road are not enforceable if you drive against them.

 

I would also say that they have deliberately kept the disabled bays at an artificially low count because they know that a large number of hospital visitors will be in possession of a blue badge and that wouldn't be good for profits.

 

Legally, blue badges don't enjoy the same rules in private carparks as on the road, so they don't have to provide any spaces.

 

.

Edited May 8, 2010 by Conniff