Changes to improve and update the blue badge disabled persons' parking scheme

DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT News Release (118) issued by The Government News Network on 13 September 2007

Transport Minister Rosie Winterton today announced a series of changes to update the Blue Badge disabled persons' parking scheme and make it tougher on fraud.

The changes, which come into force on 15 October 2007, include:

* extending the scheme to children under two who, because of their specific medical conditions, need to travel with bulky medical equipment or be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment. This will include children who suffer from hip dysplasia.

* amending the design of the badge, including the addition of a hologram, to help prevent fraud and aid enforcement.

* extending the scheme to include people with severe disabilities in both arms who drive non-adapted vehicles regularly but are unable to operate parking meters, such as people with Thalidomide-related disabilities.

Rosie Winterton said:

"The Blue Badge Scheme gives many disabled people the freedom to get to work, do their shopping and access vital services.

"The changes we are announcing today extend the scheme to children under two who need to travel with bulky medical equipment and to people whose disabilities mean they can drive non-adapted cars but cannot operate parking meters. These changes will ensure that the scheme continues to help those disabled people who need the Blue Badge concession most. The addition of a hologram to the badge will also help to prevent fraud and misuse.

"We listened to what people told us during our recent consultation and as a result are including children who suffer from hip dysplasia in the new under-twos category. I hope this will help ease some of the difficulties the families of these children face.

"These changes will come into force on 15 October, when local authorities will also start issuing the new badges including a hologram to prevent fraud.

"In addition, a strategic review of the Blue Badge Scheme is being carried out and will report to me later this month. This will lead to the publication of a comprehensive reform strategy by April 2008 which will help us continue to improve the scheme, making it fairer, more consistently administered and easier to understand."

The strategic review of the Blue Badge Scheme is looking at a wide range of issues including future eligibility criteria and whether people with temporary disabilities should qualify for the scheme.

Notes to Editors

1. The Disabled Person's Parking Badge Scheme ("the Blue Badge Scheme") was introduced in 1971 to provide a national arrangement of on-street parking concessions for disabled people, allowing them to access goods and services more easily.

2. The Department for Transport announced a series of proposed changes to the Blue Badge Scheme, as well as a strategic review of the scheme, on 26 February 2007.

3. A consultation on these changes was held between 29 March 2007 and 19 June 2007.

4. Following analysis of the consultation responses, it was decided to extend the definition of children under two with bulky medical equipment to embrace children with developmental hip dysplasia.

5. From 15 October the design of the Blue Badge will change. The biggest single change is the introduction of an anti-fraud hologram to help prevent forgeries. In addition, as a result of the feedback from the consultation, the new badge will also include a gender specific serial number to aid parking enforcement and clearer information about the use and abuse of the scheme directly on the badge.

6. The new legislation changes the eligibility criteria for people with a disability in both upper limbs. Currently, drivers with severe upper limb disabilities, who drive a car with an adapted steering column, but cannot operate a parking meter, are eligible for a badge. However, the new definition extends this eligibility to a small number of disabled people with severe disabilities in both arms who can drive a standard car, but cannot use parking meters. This will include those with thalidomide-related disabilities and others.

7. The new regulations will come into force on 15 October 2007. The regulations are available in full on the Office for Public Sector Information website at http://www.opsi.gov.uk.

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