Blue Badge Holders with older diesel vehicles are not fully exempt. Only those that are adapted for certain disabilities and not cost effective to replace.
The figure is tiny.
Most are Motability category and replaced at 3-5 years. Some are owned by people whose income and disability benefit is minimal or expired by the vacuum in age and severity of disability. There are a lot of over 80s who get no disablity allowance other than Attendance Allowance but did get a proper allowance when in work age. Hence a new car becomes unaffordable, Motobility Allowance stops at 65 not 67 and thus apart from a Blue Badge, many holders end up losing their freedom mobility altogether. And in Hounslow, unlike other Boroughs, Blue Badge holders in CPZs have to pay for a Zone permit with no reduction as per the rating of the vehicle. |