News

Blue badge impact on parking revenue questioned

By Tim Harris
December 12, 2012

MORE than six months after a move to charge disabled people in Aldershot and Farnborough to park their cars, the council has suffered a fall in income from parking revenue.

Rushmoor Borough Council introduced changes to the area's blue badge parking scheme in April, which meant disabled motorists have had to pay full fees to use council car parks if they are not automatically entitled to a badge.

The long-debated changes, opposed by residents and some ward councillors, were previously branded as "unquestionably discriminatory".

However, new figures revealed the council has actually seen a drop in the income generated from parking charges in Aldershot and Farnborough.

The figures, obtained by the News & Mail under the Freedom of Information Act, showed the total income between April and September of this year was £1,207,784.

This was less than the £1,261,198 between October 2011 and March 2012, and also for the six months prior to that, which amounted to £1,208,839.

Cove resident Keith Jeffery, who strongly opposed the original plans, suggested blue badge holders may be opting not to use council car parks.

Mr Jeffery suffers from Myasthenia Gravis (MG), which is a neurological disease affecting the voluntary muscles.

He said: “The introduction of a change could have encouraged blue badge holders to park in the roads outside the car park.

“If, as a blue badge holder, I had to pay to park in a council car park, I would take my mobility scooter in the back of the car and park in a nearby road."

Mr Jeffery made it clear that, as a blue badge holder, he did not have to pay for parking. But he is prepared to fight on behalf of others who do have to pay, describing it as "unfair" on them.

When the blue badge changes were approved, Mr Jeffery said: “It is unquestionably discriminatory in as much as it treats under 65s and over 65s with identical disabilities differently – with one group receiving free parking and the other group having to pay.”

Councillor Roland Dibbs, deputy leader of the council, underlined his view that the blue badge parking scheme and the reduction in parking charges income were completely unrelated.

Cllr Dibbs said: “There is no relationship between the two. I think the decrease is because of the way of the world at the moment, people are not going shopping and not spending much money.

“It is a continuing impact of the recession that was, I think there is still a general shortage of money going round. People are not going to car parks as much as usual.”

Mike Bamber, strategic parking manager for the council, added: “I do not think it is anything Rushmoor has or has not done.

“The national economic condition means people will think twice about the cost of travel, as well as parking."

Despite the decrease in income, Mr Bamber said the council was "actually quite robust" financially.

He added: “We are not looking into the abyss, far from it.”

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Most recent user comments 15 of 15

Blue Badge is for people who are unable to walk and for those who are unable to walk to far.

But due to the miss use of Blue Badges gives those genuine Disabled a bad name!

Also some one questions why disabled it parking free - well they don't they have to pay for the Blue Badge and for a parking permit from the council so where is it free?.

As for the wider parking spot, a lot of people in wheel chairs need the room to get out of vehicle!

Everyone could ask the same question about the parking spots for people with kids and pushchairs, why do they need these parking spaces?.

PJA
28/12/2012 at 16:28

I might be stupid but why should disabled people park for free. Yes they need wider spaces and spaces nearer parking meters lifts etc. but why free ????

Also the allocation of badges is incorrect why because you are elderly with a bad knee can you get a badge where as a lot of people I know with other disabilities are unable. ????

Carol Clarke
27/12/2012 at 17:53

Yes I agree with you Dawi But it would be great if the disabled were beable to use these spaces.

Their is lack of respect from the general public for disabled people.

God hopes that this never happerns to many because being disabled is not great and is very hard, many genuine disabled would love to be healthy and be able to walk around like others, but many genuine disabled are ill and cannot get around like others and just have to put up with people who are healthy to park in spaces that are suppose to be for the disabled.

Like i state on another article on aldershot news kids have no respect for elders = and when kids see their parents treating disabled people by giving them mouth about parking in parking spaces for disabled people - then everyone wonder why their kids are out of control.

no respect at all!!!

PJA
17/12/2012 at 09:29

While I’m against charging blue badge holders to park, some of the comments seem to be making a wrong assumption about the Blue Badge.

The badge only entitles the vehicle that the badge holder is traveling in to park in disabled bays in the UK (or on double yellow lines) and on the same terms as nationals in other EU countries. The charge for the Blue Badge is not a pre-payment for parking it is the admin fee to issue the badge.

Disabled bays are normally wider than usual bays and are usually closer to the entrance of premises, for easier access of mobility impaired or wheel chair users.

Dawi, Aldershot
16/12/2012 at 23:22

Whats the point of paying for something that the disabled are not getting, when they have to pay on top again just to park in aldershot council run car parks again?

Afterall Aldershot has no decent shops any way, the council are just pushing people away by charging them to park in first place.

You can go to morrisions and tesco's and not pay so why pay in town when you have no need to.

It isn't because the public haven't got the money to shop in Aldershot its because we have no decent shops any way!!

PJA
15/12/2012 at 12:17

Lost money ? it's £1055 out of £1.2 million. thats about 40 quid a week out of £48,000.

SpongeBob NoPants, Farnborough
13/12/2012 at 17:08

Even though this scheme is probably not the sole reason for a loss in revenue I am glad they have lost money as it will hopefully make the Council reconsider this parking strategy.

This scheme is disgraceful and should have never been voted through. The reason given for bringing this charging policy in was that disabled people are not deserving of this concession because they are all dishonest in allowing family members to use their blue badges illegally.

This scheme is unfair, discriminatory and targeted at people who need a little help rather than being branded unworthy. Councillors who voted for this should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

Ian Penfold
13/12/2012 at 16:32

the fall in revenue to park in council run carparks is not anything to do with lack of people shopping or anthing like that, its is down to the state of our highstreet, why bother to pay to park in Aldershot especially when we have nothing really to see, all we have is pictures on empty buildings and a very few shops.

if you park at morrissons or tesco's you can normally park for free and get allmost everything you want under 1 roof.

May those disabled that pay for blue badge to hampshire county council should with draw from doing this and just pay rushmoor council carparking area instead, because i don't see the point paying twice.

PJA
13/12/2012 at 14:56

Be they blue badge holders or not why anyone woulld wish to pay to shop anywhere in this borough is beyond me, the way I see it its too expensive and if you pay the minimum you are constantly checking the time hoping that there isnt too long a queue where you are shopping and that there wont be an unpleasnt addition to your shopping costs on the return to your car in the form a ticket. Where is the pleasant shopping experience in that. Personnaly I refuse to shop anywhere that wishes to charge me for the privilege on principle, to me it would be like Tesco charging an entry fee to shop.

mai
13/12/2012 at 10:40

Two points on the article:

1. As disabled people were not being charged to park in council car parks before and are now does not mean that disabled people are NOT parking in council car parks, the fall in revenue means that PEOPLE in general are not using them (probably because they are cash strapped).

2. The way that the charges are applied is discriminatory. In fact the whole way that disability benefits are applied to those diagnosed under 65 and those diagnosed over 65 are discriminatory. (If you are diagnosed with a condition before your 65th Birthday you can get much more help than if you are diagnosed with the same condition after your 65th Birthday. This happened to my late Mum).

Dawi, Aldershot
12/12/2012 at 23:23

Maybe the council should focus on investing their 'robust' money on gritting the car park at the leisure centre which is used by many disabled and elderly user...it is a disgrace and is like an ice rink...or will they wait til someone injures themselves!!

bionic woman
12/12/2012 at 22:29

There are many councils who have had the same car parking policy as Rushmoor for far longer. I for one am in favor of this charging. Both my wife and I are disabled and since the charges have been brought in we have been able to park in a disable parking bay. There is less abuse, but there is still abuse of the disabled parking. I would rather pay for a disabled parking bay and be able to have a wide parking bay near to the shops than previously not pay and fight able bodied people for a disabled parking bay. I do think there should be more enforcement, and the parking attendants should check the pictures on the back of the disabled badge to make sure that the person whose badge it is is actually using it. I am fed up of "I'm only going to be a minute" for an excuse to parking in a disabled bay. It's time this type of discrimination was highlighted and made as unacceptable as any other form of discrimination.

Jaxxman, Farnborough
12/12/2012 at 20:19

The Council is in a sound financial position, so it does not need to discriminate against most holders of Blue Badges by charging them for parking.

I hope that as many people as possible - not just the disabled - will speak out against this rotten scheme, if they want to see all disabled people have access our town centre car parks without having to pay for parking.

Cllr. Alex Crawford, Aldershot
12/12/2012 at 16:59

They allways dig at the disabled - but if you have a blue badge any way you have to pay for that and then pay on top for parking in Rushmoor so the disabled are paying twice any way. Discusting!!

PJA
12/12/2012 at 13:09

No story here, the difference between the two comparable six month mid year periods represents a drop of 0.01%..... They should not be charging blue badge holders though.