The disabled person’s parking badge pilot scheme, which was launched in April 2016, has been extended to Autumn this year.

People who think they might be eligible for a Blue Badge are being invited to contact their local authority and apply.

The Blue Badge scheme allows severely disabled people – travelling either as drivers or passengers across – to park in certain restricted areas.

As long as the journey is being made for you, and you're in the car with your badge, you can travel in any car.

Badge holders can park closer to where they need to go. They're also exempt from certain parking restrictions, so they're allowed to park free at on-street parking meters and in pay and display bays on single and double yellow lines.

Glasgow Times: Disabled badge on a car

The current Blue Badge eligibitlity criteria for Glasgow City Conucil residents includes the following:

  • Registered as blind (severely sight impaired)
  • Have either a Certification of Blindness or Defective Vision (BP1 (3R)) or Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) or a previous equivalent, signed by a consultant ophthalmologist and held by your Social Services Department or local society
  • Receive the Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowanc (DLA)
  • Receive a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as you meet a 'Moving Around' descriptor for the Mobility Component because you either cannot stand or can stand but walk no more than 50 metres. This is a score of 8 points or more.
  • Receive PIP as you meet the 'Planning and Following Journeys' descriptor for the Mobility Component because you can't follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid.  This is a score of 12 points.
  • You were in receipt of a fixed term award of the Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of DLA immediately before being assessed for PIP. You did not receive the Mobility Component of PIP at 8 points or more for the 'Moving Around' or 12 points for the 'Planning and Following Journeys' and have requested a mandatory reconsideration of that decision with the Department for Work and Pensions.
  • You were in receipt of a lifetime or indefinite award of the Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of DLA immediately before being assessed for PIP.
  • You receive a War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement
  • You receive a tariff within 1-8 (inclusive) of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and have been assessed as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.

The eligibility criteria has been revised and extended under the pilot scheme to allow people who pose a risk to themselves or others in traffic to apply for a disabled person’s parking badge, provided they meet the criteria.

Glasgow Times:

Transport Scotland has been working closely with local authorities and disability organisations to extend the scheme to those who may be eligible under the new criteria.

Extending the pilot will allow more information to be gathered about how the extension works in practice, and enable partners to consider how best to extend the scheme.

Elaine Harley, Helpline Manager at Alzheimer Scotland and member of the Blue Badge Working Group, said of the extended pilot: “We welcome the extension of the Blue Badge pilot scheme to cover people living with cognitive impairments and we’re pleased that the pilot is being extended for a further period of time.”

Glasgow Times:

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf (pictured above) said: “The Scottish Government believes in the absolute rights of disabled people to live a life of equal opportunities like any other citizen.

“We’re committed to identify and remove disabling barriers which prevent people travelling or make their journeys unpleasant. That is why I was pleased to launch Scotland’s first Accessible Travel Framework last year. One of the outcomes of the Framework agreed by disabled people and their representative organisations is that more disabled people make successful door-to-door journeys, more often.

“I’m therefore pleased to announce this extension to the Blue Badge scheme. By extending the eligibility criteria of the scheme, this pilot allows more people the opportunity to access the support necessary to suit their everyday transport needs.”

A decision on permanent changes to eligibility criteria and associated rules will be made at the end of the pilot, in the Autumn.

You can check your Blue Badge eligibility with your local authority here: https://bluebadge.direct.gov.uk/directscotapply.html