"I am exhausted": Disabled man speaks of parking row on Derby street as thousands abuse Blue Badge parking
A disabled man in Derby challenges a driver parked in a blue badge bay without a permit, highlighting an ongoing issue in the city.
A Derby man says he felt “exhausted” after challenging a driver who parked in a designated bay without a blue badge.
Amo Raju, who has from cerebral palsy, told of the incident in Derby city centre.
He shared his story after it was revealed that more than 7,000 fines had been issued to people parking in disabled spaces without a badge in the last two years across the city.
Mr Raju is an ambassador for Derby-based charity Disability Direct which for more than 30 years has supported people with disabilities to become independent or maintain their independence.
Last week another disabled charity – Disabled Motoring UK – shared its concern after a Freedom of Information request showed thousands in Derby had received a fine for parking in a council-owned disabled bay without a valid blue badge on display.
Mr Raju said a few weeks ago he was looking for a disabled parking bay on Gower Street in the city centre so he could use a cash machine nearby. But on arrival another driver had beaten him to the spot.
After waiting a short while, he noticed the driver had parked in the bay without a valid blue badge on display and he decided to challenge him over it.
But the disability ambassador claimed he was met with an ignorant and angry response.
The driver told him “I was only here for two minutes”.
When Mr Raju said to him there are disabled people who need the space the individual replied: “What’s it got to do with you? Why are you getting on your high horse?”
The 57-year-old then showed him his blue badge but said he was met with a “shrug of the shoulders” before driving off.
Gower Street is one of a number of Derby streets where the most fines are issued for disabled parking violations.
Other hotspot streets include London Road (between Bradshaw Way Retail Park and The Spot), Park Farm Drive, Morledge, St Marys Gate, St Peters Churchyard and Babington Lane.
Mr Raju said the exchange was nothing new to him and that it was a common occurrence for many disabled people.
He added: “It is on the increase, I’m afraid.
“The amount of times I’ve had to challenge people to say you’ve parked somewhere and I can’t see your badge – I see it so many times. But they can get away with it.
“People get aggressive in their response, they get upset by a challenge.
“They don’t feel awkward or bad about it.”
Mr Raju also called for a “planning rethink” to help provide more parking provision for disabled people across the city.
Graham Footer, chief executive of Disabled Motoring UK was concerned that there were more than 300 repeat offenders for disabled parking violations in Derby over a two-year period.
He said: “Disabled bay abuse is an abhorrent crime that robs genuine blue badge holders of their independence.
“To see that there are so many repeat offenders in Derby is particularly concerning.”
A Derby City Council spokesperson said: “The council takes the enforcement of disabled parking bays seriously to ensure that blue badge holders have access to convenient and accessible parking in Derby.
“Our civil enforcement officers are on duty seven days a week and regularly patrol disabled bays across the city.”