What is the European Blue Badge Scheme?
Am I eligible for a Blue Badge?
How do I apply for a Blue Badge?
Do I have to drive to apply for a Blue Badge?
Where can I park with a Blue Badge?
Where am I not allowed to park with a Blue Badge?
How do I display my Blue Badge?
What are my duties as a Blue Badge holder?
Does the Blue Badge operate in other European Union countries?
What is the European Blue Badge Scheme?
The Blue Badge
Scheme is a program for people with disabilities who find it difficult to
get around
without using a car. The Blue Badge Scheme replaces the Orange Badge Scheme.
Am I eligible for a Blue Badge?
You are eligible if you:
· receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance
· receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
· use a vehicle supplied for disabled people by a government health department
·
have a severe
disability of both upper limbs, and regularly drive a motor vehicle, but can’t
turn the
steering wheel by hand, even if the wheel is fitted with a turning knob
· are registered blind
·
have a permanent
and substantial disability causing you to be unable to walk or have very considerable
difficulty walking
How do I apply for a Blue Badge?
To request an application form, phone Traveline on 0800 232323 (free phone).
Do I have to drive to apply for a Blue Badge?
No, you can have a badge if you drive a vehicle or if you are a passenger in a vehicle.
Where can I park with a Blue Badge?
You may
park free of charge in all disabled and public parking spaces and in residents'
parking bays
with a free 'exempt' permit. For more on exempt permits, see 'Do
I need a permit if I'm a Blue Badge holder?'.
You may also park on single and double yellow lines, except where there
are bans on loading and unloading,
which are indicated by kerb stripes.
Some private
car parks also provide disabled parking: check signs and always display your
Blue Badge.
Badge holders are also exempt from the Forth, Tay and Erskine
bridge toll charges.
Where am I not allowed to park with a Blue Badge?
You should not park:
· in a bus lane during its hours of operation
· in a cycle lane
· on single or double red lines during hours of operation
· on zig-zag pedestrian crossings, or at school entrances or bus stops
· in parking spaces reserved for other users (residents, etc.)
· in suspended pay and display bays or when temporary restrictions are in force
· any place where traffic or emergency vehicles might be held up
· at lowered kerbs for pedestrian crossings
How do I display my Blue Badge?
Display the badge on the dashboard with the front of the badge
– the side showing the wheelchair-user
symbol – facing outward, so it can be seen through the windscreen. If someone
other than the Blue Badge
holder is driving, the badge may only be used for the parking benefit of a
Blue Badge holder, or when
picking up or dropping off a Blue Badge holder.
What are my duties as a Blue Badge holder?
The purpose of the scheme is to allow only people with disabilities
to use the badge. It is in your own interest
that the badge is respected by other motorists. Play your part by:
· not allowing other people to use your badge
· ensuring the details of the badge remain legible
· not letting other people take advantage of the benefits while you sit in the car.
Your badge may be withdrawn if you misuse it. For people without
disabilities, it is a criminal offence to
use a badge and they can be fined up to £1,000.
Does the Blue Badge operate in other European Union countries?
Yes, if you hold the new European-style Blue Badge, you may
use disabled parking spaces in EU countries,
and some other European countries, including Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway.
In most European countries, the wheelchair symbol is used to
indicate parking spaces for disabled people.
In Edinburgh, disabled parking bays are marked “disabled”.
For a leaflet outlining how and where to use your blue card
in Europe, call the Scottish Executive Transport
division at 0131 244 0860.