uk.people.disability

Serena Blanchflower wrote:
> * Palindrome wrote, On 18/07/2007 10:41:
>
>> I am driving disabled people around - many of whom are not entitled to
>> a badge because their condition is not regarded as permanent. If I am
>> transporting someone with a leg in plaster, I am going to use a
>> disabled bay and am going to escort them into the building and not
>> leave them to fend for themselves, or make them walk from the nearest
>> able-bodied bay. I will be in the bay for at most 5 minutes and
>> have yet to find any parking warden, police officer or, come to that,
>> anyone who does not consider this reasonable.
>
> Robert's reply reminded me of something you might find useful. If
> you're driving disabled people on behalf of a local organisation, you
> may be able to get a valid blue badge for such occasions. I don't know
> what the exact criteria are but I do know that my local Care Group, who
> take the old and infirm to things such as medical appointments, have a
> stash of blue badges allocated to them which they can legitimately use.
>

The vehicles I drive invariably do come with an institution blue badge,
Serena. The driver's decision to use it has to be based on their
judgement as to whether any of their passengers meet the criteria for
the award of a badge.

So, say, if I am taking someone to the local hospital and using the
tail-lift to get them and their wheel chair in and out - if the
disability is a temporary one, I cannot use the blue badge. It's
tempting but simply not permitted.

If there is some police-type person visible, I will go and ask for
permission to remain there for a few minutes. None has ever said no.
Most have been very surprised to be asked, by someone driving such a
vehicle.

Living in Devon, the vast majority of the people I transport are elderly
and, sadly, their condition is permanent. So it seldom is an issue. But,
as none of our local taxis can take a passenger in a wheelchair, we also
get asked to help locals get too and from appointments or even too and
from the shops. It is then that the problem arises.

To be honest, I have never had anyone come up to me and complain at me
misusing a blue badge bay to unload wheelchairs - irrespecitve of
whether their occupants would be entitled, or not, on the "permanent"
rule.. It may, of course, be that their have been a few such twisted
individuals too apoplectic to talk..

--
Sue