Topic ID 5878
http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/Buntingford-and-Royston/Roystons-free-after-three-scheme-to-be-extended.htm
Reply ID 80310
quote:After 9am would be good[:)]
Originally posted by Ewoowar
http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/Buntingford-and-Royston/Roystons-free-after-three-scheme-to-be-extended.htm
Reply ID 80536
It would also be good if the long stay car parks allowed short stay parking after about 11am - It might make up for the fact that 1/3 of the short stay floor in Gascoyne way is now taken up by empty restricted bays that only "disabled people in electric cars wanting their car washed while shopping with their children" can park in [:)]
Reply ID 80538
Are there actually 5 electric cars in the whole of Hertfordshire, let alone Hertford itself?
Reply ID 80539
quote:That is a brilliant comment - a classic [:)]
Originally posted by jez_p
It would also be good if the long stay car parks allowed short stay parking after about 11am - It might make up for the fact that 1/3 of the short stay floor in Gascoyne way is now taken up by empty restricted bays that only "disabled people in electric cars wanting their car washed while shopping with their children" can park in [:)]
Reply ID 80542
quote:Chicken / Egg
Originally posted by thefair1973
Are there actually 5 electric cars in the whole of Hertfordshire, let alone Hertford itself?
Reply ID 80543
quote:It seems there is a problem elsewhere. http://www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/Bishops-Stortford/Parking-pains-over-Jackson-Square-car-wash.htm
Originally posted by jez_p
It would also be good if the long stay car parks allowed short stay parking after about 11am - It might make up for the fact that 1/3 of the short stay floor in Gascoyne way is now taken up by empty restricted bays that only "disabled people in electric cars wanting their car washed while shopping with their children" can park in [:)]
Reply ID 80569
Can't vouch for the electric or children bit but it seems that around 80% of people (usually those with big 4x4s or Mercs) are disabled, but with a strange recent form of disability that means they have a blue badge but appear to be completely able bodied when exiting their vehicles and walking around. Very strange.
Reply ID 80572
I personally wouldn't like to see the Royston scheme come to Hertford in its current form. It's become clear over the the last few years that the town centre has become more of a meeting place with the proliferation of cafes, bars and restaurants. What I think would work well is if St. Andrew street Could be pedestrianised from Old Cross to the A414. Also pedestrianise Fore St., Bull Plain, Market Place and Railway St. The car parks would still be there and cars can still get to them, but the increased space in the town centre means more people would cycle or walk into town. There would also be more room for the market, which could move from its cramped spot on Maidenhead Street to St. Andrew Street. With no cars in the town centre it will then be a lot easier to hold other events in the town such as festivals, farmers markets and street theatre, that would bring in people from further afield. The current model of letting cars have free roam over the town centre in a desperate attempt to compete with commercial shopping malls isn't working.
Reply ID 80573
quote:Now that is a sweeping statement, maybe the '4x4 or Mercs' are necessary. Have you ever considered that disability can go beyond walking? Cancer, brain disease, autism, old age and frailty? The badge doesn't mean the driver is in poor health. It could be a carer or husband/wife that looks upbeat as they put the money in the machine. You need to think a bit.
Originally posted by aubend
Can't vouch for the electric or children bit but it seems that around 80% of people (usually those with big 4x4s or Mercs) are disabled, but with a strange recent form of disability that means they have a blue badge but appear to be completely able bodied when exiting their vehicles and walking around. Very strange.
Reply ID 80574
quote:What utter s**t.
Originally posted by aubend
Can't vouch for the electric or children bit but it seems that around 80% of people (usually those with big 4x4s or Mercs) are disabled, but with a strange recent form of disability that means they have a blue badge but appear to be completely able bodied when exiting their vehicles and walking around. Very strange.
Reply ID 80576
quote:Indeed!!
Originally posted by jamesquote:What utter s**t.
Originally posted by aubend
Can't vouch for the electric or children bit but it seems that around 80% of people (usually those with big 4x4s or Mercs) are disabled, but with a strange recent form of disability that means they have a blue badge but appear to be completely able bodied when exiting their vehicles and walking around. Very strange.
Reply ID 80581
quote:Oh dear.
Originally posted by aubend
Can't vouch for the electric or children bit but it seems that around 80% of people (usually those with big 4x4s or Mercs) are disabled, but with a strange recent form of disability that means they have a blue badge but appear to be completely able bodied when exiting their vehicles and walking around. Very strange.
Reply ID 80607
My Aunt frequently parks her porsche boxster in disabled bays with a blue badge. If you wait and watch for any length of time, you will see her picking up or dropping off my 90 year old grandmother. Blind, walks with a frame but memory of an elephant and can still give you a tongue lashing. She still runs the familly. My dad also sometimes parks with the blue badge when it is his turn for mother duties and it is either his Mercedes or his Honda NSX which certainly gets some looks. Please note they only use it when with my grandmother, it is never abused as they get fed up when they struggle to park somewhere convenenient with her because someone is taking advantage and does not need the disabled bay.
Reply ID 80610
quote:Not nceessarily - the number of Blue Badge 'fraudsters' has got so bad that the Government are about to introduce a clampdown with anything up to 50% of badge holders using them inappropriately:[url="http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/living/motoring-section/banishing-the-blue-badge-blues"]Disability Now Webpage[/url] It fits with the woman I saw parking her 4x4 in the disabled spot at the top of Hartham Lane and then jump out in her tracksuit, pick up a sports bag out of the back and walk of down to Hartham. And yes, she'd put a blue badge up in the windscreen.
Originally posted by jamesquote:What utter s**t.
Originally posted by aubend
Can't vouch for the electric or children bit but it seems that around 80% of people (usually those with big 4x4s or Mercs) are disabled, but with a strange recent form of disability that means they have a blue badge but appear to be completely able bodied when exiting their vehicles and walking around. Very strange.
Reply ID 80611
I used to work in a london borough on their local strategic partnership where one of our responsibilities was crime reduction. Blue badge theft was a major issue (they can exchange hands for £1000 each) due to the benefits it brings and measures were being introduced to make it harder for the criminals and assist those who need to park. Unfortunately the abuse of the system is rife in some areas and there are those that don't simply don't care about the inconvenience to others and this is creeping into towns like ours. I would support any measures to make crack down on these abuses and support those who need the badge and use it correctly. Its a bit like the reserved 'chav parking' spots at some supermarkets - or to give them their politically correct name - 'Pick up points' where it is also rare to find any space. James the idea of further pedestrianisation of the town centre would be great but the big issue is access to Folly Island - unless a Hartham Lane access is created there would never be any support for such a scheme. St. Andrew St is also too important a through route to pedestrianise.
Reply ID 80612
quote:If the Blue Badge is registered to a vehicle then it is associated with the registration and stored on a database or two somewhere. If the devices the traffic wardens/parking attendents (whatever they are called) could access the database they could tell whether the vehicle is entitled to display the badge. No entitlement should result in a suitable fine.
Originally posted by Golden
I used to work in a london borough on their local strategic partnership where one of our responsibilities was crime reduction. Blue badge theft was a major issue (they can exchange hands for £1000 each) due to the benefits it brings and measures were being introduced to make it harder for the criminals and assist those who need to park. Unfortunately the abuse of the system is rife in some areas and there are those that don't simply don't care about the inconvenience to others and this is creeping into towns like ours. I would support any measures to make crack down on these abuses and support those who need the badge and use it correctly. Its a bit like the reserved 'chav parking' spots at some supermarkets - or to give them their politically correct name - 'Pick up points' where it is also rare to find any space. James the idea of further pedestrianisation of the town centre would be great but the big issue is access to Folly Island - unless a Hartham Lane access is created there would never be any support for such a scheme. St. Andrew St is also too important a through route to pedestrianise.
Reply ID 80613
@Golden. Ahh, Folly Island. Good point. Forgot about that. I'd still say it's worth pedestrianising St. Andrew Street from Old Cross to the Caste St./A414 end though. Can't really see how this is a through route. Traffic can just travel a bit further on the A414 instead and come in through Fore St. by M&S. However, this may make Fore St. evern busier which kind of misses the point. Gaaaah, my head hurts!. Alternatively, let's bulldoze Folly Island and build a car park on it!
Reply ID 80614
Oh hang on again, I see your point. Traffic comes down St. Andrew Street to go up to Bengeo. Anyone got any free traffic modelling software I could borrow?
Reply ID 80615
Ewoowar - one would like to think that was the case but (apparently) there are different badges issued by differing local authorities which makes things a bit difficult plus many of them are hand-written numbers etc. - it was always apparent that its about time the blue badge caught up with the 21st century.
Reply ID 80616
The blue badge, at least in Hertfordshire, is registered to the disabled person and not a particular vehicle. This is necessary as a family member, friend, carers etc may transport the disabled person.
Reply ID 80636
quote:Or, as usually happens, the family members use the blue badge every time they go out in their cars because they're too bloody lazy to walk the extra 10 or 20 meters from the non-disabled parking bays and too tight to pay for their parking, so everyone else has to pay more!
Originally posted by Eyeone
The blue badge, at least in Hertfordshire, is registered to the disabled person and not a particular vehicle. This is necessary as a family member, friend, carers etc may transport the disabled person.
Reply ID 80649
Not everyone! Not the case in my family where the blue badge is only used when transporting my elderly grandmother. The rest of the time there is no blue badge use. There are a lot of us who transport her and take her out so the badge needs to remain with her. In fact, I don't think I have ever used the badge when I have transported her. It irritates my dad when he cannot get a disabled parking place when transporting her because of misuse so he does not do it.
Reply ID 80653
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