Annette Brooke MP reaction to Blue Badge Consultation

12.00.00am GMT Thu 24th Jan 2008

Annette Brooke MP for Mid Dorset & North Poole, today reacted to the Minister of State for Transport's announcement of the publication of a consultation document looking at the number of ways of making the Blue Badge Scheme more secure and beneficial to those who need it.

Annette Brooke MP said:

'I speak from experience having fractured my hip last year. I spent six weeks in a wheelchair and far longer on crutches, unable to put any weight on one leg. I believe it would have been possible to have been issued with a temporary badge when I left hospital and it could have been issued with a fixed expiry date.

'I cannot stress enough how difficult it is to cope in a wheelchair when you are prohibited from parking in the wide parking spaces reserved for blue badge holders. I was driving myself whilst still on crutches as I have an automatic car and this presented even more of a nightmare unless I was able to arrange for a reserved car parking space.'

Annette Brooke MP will now request that the Government introduces a temporary blue badge for those who have had an accident or operation which will render them relatively immobile for three or six months, depending on the injury:

'As I am now thankfully completely recovered, I feel that I am in the position to make this request on behalf of thousands of other people, many of whom will be elderly, whose quality of life could be enhanced by the provision of temporary blue badges'.