There is only one council-owned accessible parking bay for every 38 blue badge holders, according to data released to car insurance company confused.com under a Freedom of Information request.
Since the rules changed to allow more people with hidden disabilities to apply, 35,000 more applications for blue badges have been received but only 1,800 new dedicated parking spaces have been created in the past year to accommodate them.
DR UK CEO Kamran Mallick said: “It’s clear from government data that there is an urgent need for more blue badge parking. As councils up and down the country are currently on a mission to increase al fresco dining to boost the economy, amending streetscapes and removing parking bays as they go, they need to be mindful that they are not excluding disabled people from being a part of this. We need, and are entitled to have, social lives too. And that means parking to enable us to get out and live independent lives.”