NEARLY 100 Blue Badge holders are battling for one parking space in the West Midlands, new data shows, writes Eve Watson.
New rules in England extended the Blue Badge scheme to people with hidden disabilities at the end of last month and residents are confused as to why 74 per cent of councils are not planning to extend the number of disabled parking bays.
According to data from Confused.com, one in three drivers are calling for councils to extend the number of bays.
Blue Badge parking shortage is made worse by people wrongly using spaces, with more than 11,000 fines issued to drivers in the West Midlands last year alone.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: “Clearly more parking for Blue Badge holders is needed – 30 drivers to one space is quite a challenge.
“It’s no wonder some of these drivers have had to park elsewhere.
“And the number of people competing for spaces is only going to grow as more people can apply for a Blue Badge now.”
She urged anyone who thought they were eligible for a Blue Badge but were confused about the criteria to check out Confused’s guide.
But, Ms Stretton added, for full details people should always contact their local council.
