Monthly Archives: September 2018
A Guide to the Blue Badge Scheme

The Blue Badge scheme provides disabled motorists with a number of concessions throughout the UK. These are mostly related to parking but also include things like tax exemption and exemption from being clamped on public roads.
Parking concessions
One of the main parking concessions that Blue Badge holders benefit from is the ability to legally park in disabled spaces. Disabled parking spaces are extremely common in the UK and are found in a wide range of places, from football stadiums and arenas to supermarkets and shopping centres.
The other major parking concession for Blue Badge holders is the ability to park on roads with single or double yellow lines. In England and Wales, Blue Badge drivers can park on roads with yellow lines for up to 3 hours; there is no time limit for parking on such roads in Scotland.
On roads where there are parking meters or pay and display machines present, Blue Badge holders can park for as long as necessary. The exception to this is when there is a notice stating that there are specific time limits for Blue Badge holders. In such cases it’s necessary to display both your Blue Badge and a parking disc to show what time you arrived.
Additional concessions
Below are some of the additional concessions that Blue Badge holders can benefit from.
- Road tax – In the majority of cases, if you hold a Blue Badge then you will not have to pay road tax. Even if you don’t currently hold a blue badge but have a disability then you might be eligible for tax exemption.
- Insurance – disability cannot be used as a rating factor for all types of of insurance including
- taxi private hire insurance and other uses
- motor trade insurance cover including road risks
- fleet insurance policy – all types of fleet
- Tolls – If you’re a disabled driver then you might be exempt from having to pay the full fare at toll crossings in the UK. Visit https://www.gov.uk/toll-concessions for full details.
- Wheel clamping – Providing your vehicle is displaying a valid Blue Badge, it cannot be legally clamped on public land.
Getting a Car As a Disabled Person

Choosing the right vehicle
When you have a disability it’s extremely important to get a vehicle that’s suitable for your needs. How much your car needs to be adapted will depend on the extent of your disability. In some cases, simply being a car with automatic transmission is enough since they’re much easier to drive and frees up your left hand from constantly changing gears.
If your disability is more severe then you might have to have your vehicle extensively adapted, including things like hand controls for operating the vehicle and having the pedals shifted to suit your needs.
Of course not all disabilities require you to have a car adapted or even purchasing a particular type of vehicle. There are disabilities that don’t manifest themselves physically to a point where it would impair your ability to drive a regular car.
motability scheme
The main organization that provides vehicles for disabled drivers is The Motability Scheme. If you receive financial support for your disability then you can use it to lease or purchase a vehicle from Motability. Motability provide a range of cars, scooters and powered wheelchairs.
There are certain criteria you must meet in order to be eligible to get a vehicle from Motability.
You are also able to get a Motability vehicle and pick somebody else to drive it for you, as well as being able to claim a vehicle for your child.
Getting a vehicle through the Motability Scheme comes with some fairly substantial benefits. These include –
- Vehicle insurance (convicted drivers such as drug driving insurance may cost more) of is included as standard, including tyre/windscreen replacement cover
- Breakdown cover is also included
- Vehicle tax is already paid for
Car Tax
If you have a disability and choose to get a vehicle outside of the Motability Scheme then there’s a possibility that you won’t have to pay car tax on it.
Check out this page for information on how to apply for free vehicle tax or to renew your current vehicle tax exemption.