Woking charges blue badge holders £25 for parking

Woking Borough Council has announced it will charge a £25 fee for blue badge holders who want to park in its car parks. This change has upset many, including an accessibility activist named Cliff Bush. Bush, who leads the Woking Access Group, said the charge is a "tax on the most vulnerable." He believes that people with disabilities should not have to pay for parking in town centers where they shop and visit. Currently, blue badge holders can park for free on the streets but now face an additional cost for council car parks. The council states that the fee is necessary to cover the cost of administering the parking scheme. The £25 fee will apply for up to three years, matching the expiry of the blue badge. Dale Roberts, the deputy leader of the council, emphasized their commitment to accessibility while managing costs. He mentioned that it costs the council £30,000 a year to run the permit scheme. Roberts also noted that many blue badge holders do not use the permits. The council's car parks use Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology, which adds to the administrative costs.