Noticing. (Public chargers being ICEd up)

[Ian Key]

It used to seem wasteful to me how many spaces were both reserved for disabled people and empty most of the time.

Then it seemed to change a few years back and now the disabled spaces are mostly full.

Either there are a lot more people with a disability or the respect for the spaces has gone, or both.

Government data shows that there has been a 23% increase in the number of people issued a Blue Badge between 2019 and 2023

 

[Archev]

Government data shows that there has been a 23% increase in the number of people issued a Blue Badge between 2019 and 2023

The blue badge was helpful to us when my wife and I went out. We could get closer to the shop door or whatever, especially if it was raining. It took a few minutes to get her mobility scooter out of the car and transfer her into it. So it was frustrating to find all the spaces taken.

 

[siteguru]

No blue badge on display = no disability.

Not all disabilities are visible, and not all disabilities qualify for the Blue Badge scheme. Whilst council car parks can mandate adherence to the blue badge scheme, private car parks cannot ... those that do (and issue a parking charge notice - AKA invoice - for any transgression) run the risk of being counter-sued under the Equalities Act 2010.

 

[john1000uk]

To the op, food, consumer goods, your new car don't magically get to the shops or car dealers.
And truck drivers are legally required to take breaks.
A lot of MSAs have eaten in to truck parking areas to install EV charging stations, leaving less space for trucks to park

Yes, truck drivers don't have it easy, especially when they are trying to get into cities for specific times.

 

[john1000uk]

Interesting in conversation with Blink is their attitude to leaving parking enforcement of their bays to the local authorities etc. Despite their loss of revenue when blocked by ice.

 

[5teep]

Not all disabilities are visible, and not all disabilities qualify for the Blue Badge scheme. Whilst council car parks can mandate adherence to the blue badge scheme, private car parks cannot ... those that do (and issue a parking charge notice - AKA invoice - for any transgression) run the risk of being counter-sued under the Equalities Act 2010.

How else would a person signal their right to use a disabled space? It would be unreasonable for a car park operator to have to question each user to check their elegibility.

 

[john1000uk]

Not sure how we got from entitled non disabled ice owners blocking ev chargers but fair enough. I have noticed that they appear to also block disabled bays, however not all disabilities are immediately noticeable so its a difficult one to comment on. Happy days.

 

[siteguru]

How else would a person signal their right to use a disabled space? It would be unreasonable for a car park operator to have to question each user to check their elegibility.

In which case they should be accepting appeals (against PCNs) when an appellant raises (with proof) their specific disability that is covered by the EA 2010 ... but in 99.9% of cases (made up number, but it is very high) they simply reject appeals and continue to pursue their pound of flesh.

PS - disabled bays are never managed if the parking company is using ANPR cameras for enforcement. And if they do have "boots on the ground" to enforce parking, then no - it's not unreasonable for the parking operator's representative to check eligibility.

 

[5teep]

Too many if's there, real life says there's not going to be anybody onsite when you park in the vast majority of car parks. So the onus is on the driver to show evidence of disability which is why the blue badge scheme came about in the first place. I'm not sure what other way exists for a driver to show their entitlement to use a space but it's still the responsibility of the driver to do it, not the parking company to ask.

 

[siteguru]

One IF is too many? (ANPR/"Boots on the ground" are effectively opposite sides of the same IF)

If there's nobody there to enforce parking (other than "concerned citizens") then what relevance is the BB scheme anyway on private land? (Councils can't legally use ANPR for parking enforcement, so they have to have boots on the ground). And the BB scheme doesn't invoke any lawful entitlement on private land anyway ... the rules of the BB scheme actually say this. Yes, landowners can make use of it, but they can't rely on it as a sign of disability ... because of the Equalities Act 2010.

But we're going around in circles ... I'm not in favour of people abusing disabled parking spaces - far from it. I'm equally not in favour of the ruthlessness of private parking companies; and I could count on less than the fingers of one hand (which has no fingers) the number of PPCs who are not ruthless in their pursuit of profit.

 

[Rolfe]

Interesting in conversation with Blink is their attitude to leaving parking enforcement of their bays to the local authorities etc. Despite their loss of revenue when blocked by ice.

My earlier anecdote about challenging ICE drivers in the charging bays involved Blink chargers.

 

[securespark]

I could count on less than the fingers of one hand (which has no fingers) the number of PPCs who are not ruthless in their pursuit of profit.

I have challenged all of mine or Mrs S's invoices.

In all of them they were taking the Michael.

Queue to get out of the CP.

Visited twice and the paperwork shows the first entry photo and the second exit photo.

Working in a building as an external employee. Details entered into system to avoid an invoice.

Giving blood. Hotel said car park was free (as was their agreement with the CP company). Company disagreed.

And more I have forgotten.

Each one I futilely fought with pen as my sword, but they were having none of it and the BPA were largely useless, so I brought out the big gun.

I wrote letters, inviting them to take me (or Mrs S) to court, where we would be happy to place the case in front of a magistrate and let them decide the rights and wrongs.

The last one was 2022, and we haven't heard a dicky bird since.

I have to say that we were not taking the Mick, these were all unreasonable.

 

[john1000uk]

I wonder if they have messed with your credit rating?

 

[Brian0]

Wonder what would happen if EV owners started leaving their cars a petrol/diesel pumps while they went off to do some shopping? Once that question is answered the same rule should apply for ICE vehicles in EV charging bays

It doesn't need to be EVs. At my local garage the ICE drivers park at the pump and go in to do their weekly shop.

 

[securespark]

I wonder if they have messed with your credit rating?

No, we've checked those.

 

[john1000uk]

No, we've checked those.

Thank goodness for that.

 

[Black estate]

It doesn't need to be EVs. At my local garage the ICE drivers park at the pump and go in to do their weekly shop.

Happens with HGVs as well: lard arse driver only going to get a coffee, not fill up with diesel.

 

[Ian Key]

It doesn't need to be EVs. At my local garage the ICE drivers park at the pump and go in to do their weekly shop.

It's not surprising as most garages now have a small supermarket and no parking spaces for people who are just shopping.

 

[securespark]

Happens in our local Tesco Express/ Esso.

There are some spaces for shoppers but not enough. Last time I went there was someone without a BB in the BB space, so I went and told her. She immediately turned to her other half in the passenger seat and said "I knew we shouldn't have parked here, you f'in idiot!" Funny thing was, why were they both in the car sitting there doing nowt?

Anyway, it got worse for them, a Warbys driver waiting to park up to deliver asked me if they were moving, I told him they didn't have a BB. He winked at me and then parked behind them and started unloading!

Edited due to my smart phone being stupid.

 

[Eclectic]

Our local Sainsbury's had pod points right outside the front of the shop, and of course, an ideal target for ice drivers too lazy to walk an extra 10 feet.
If they were unlucky enough to be with the car when I pulled up wanting to charge, I asked if they knew they were in a reserved EV charging space, and after the usual "I'm only going to be five minutes/just waiting for my wife/what's it got to do with you" I pulled across the back of their car and proceeded to plug in round the side.
This usually prompted a response on the lines of, "what are you doing?/you're not going to leave that there are you?/WTF are you doing!?"

The punchline was,"See you in a couple of hours mate, unless you want to swap places?"

Most moved, some swore (but I'm fairly large and was a Prison Officer for nearly 30 years ) and on one memorable occasion, the bloke actually waited! I was only half an hour, but he didn't know that. Maybe he knew his wife would take a good hour

The chargers have all been replaced now, with the Sainsbury's smart chargers, located much further away, and so put an end to my amusement