Parking with a blue badge

Parking with a Blue Badge

A blue badge holder can park and use the badge when driving or are a passenger in a vehicle. The badge should not be supplied to others unless you are travelling with them.

A badge must be clearly displayed in the front of the vehicle on the dashboard, with the wheelchair symbol and expiry date facing upwards. If the clock is required, it should be set to the time of arrival and be clearly displayed alongside the badge. Please take care not to hide any details by overlapping the badge and clock.

Where can you park with a Blue Badge?

Blue Badge holders can park in the following bays:

Disabled Badge holders only (there may be a time limit in the bay). The blue badge and clock must be displayed.
On single or double yellow lines (except where there is a ban on loading or unloading) for up to 3 hours. The blue badge and clock must be displayed.
Where an on street pay by phone facility apply.

Where must you not park with a blue badge?

A badge must not be used to park in any of the following places:

Where a loading ban is in force (shown by yellow kerb dashes)
Where there are double white lines in the centre of the road (even if one of the lines is a broken line)
In a bus lane during its hours of operation
In a cycle lane
On a pedestrian crossing area
On a footway or pavement
Next to a dropped footway or on a raised carriageway where pedestrians or vehicles need access to the road
In a bay marked for other types of vehicles, such as an ambulance, taxi or loading bay
In a loading bay
In a resident’s bay
In a business bay
In a permit holder only bay
Personalised disabled bays
On school “keep clear” markings
On a bay or area where parking has been suspended e.g., with yellow signs.

You should also avoid the following:

Any place that might cause an obstruction or hold up traffic
Parking in a place that might block access for others

Remember! The vehicle must be moved if a police officer or a civil enforcement officer in uniform requests it.

Blue Badge Holder Responsibilities

You must use the Blue Badge properly. The badge and its concessions are for the blue badge holder’s use only.

It is a criminal offence for you or anyone else to misuse the badge. Doing so could lead to a £1,000 fine and confiscation of the badge. Making sure that the scheme is not abused will benefit genuine badge holders, such as yourself.

If you are using the Blue Badge as a passenger, it is your responsibility to make sure that the driver is aware of all the terms and conditions of use which can be found in the Blue Badge Handbook.

You must never give the badge to friends or family to allow them to have the benefit of the parking concessions. You must never use a copied badge to park or try to change the details on a badge.

The badge remains the property of the issuing local council. They can ask for the badge to be returned if it is being misused or not in the possession of the blue badge holder

Blue badge fraud and misuse

The badge must only be used when the vehicle is being used to pick up, carry or drop off the badge holder. It is a criminal offence to use it in any other circumstance– you could be fined up to £1,000.

If you are the badge holder, do not allow other people to use your badge to do something on your behalf such as shopping or collecting something for you unless you are travelling with them.

If you are in any doubt about whether you can use a blue badge or not in a given situation, you can ring the council on 020 7364 5000 and we will do our best to advise you.

The DfT publication “The Blue Badge Scheme: Rights and Responsibilities” provides further details on blue badge fraud and misuse.

If you suspect that a blue badge is either fraudulent or being misused, please email the parking fraud team.

Tower Hamlets has a specialist anti-fraud team investigating misuse of Blue Badges. All reports are treated in strictest confidence.