Displaying your Blue Badge
When making use of an accessible parking bay, Blue Badge holders must display their badge in the right way - on top of the dashboard or facia panel of their vehicle.
TransportNI
TransportNI is responsible for providing on-street accessible parking bays. The majority of these are for general use for blue badge holders and are provided along with other on-street parking.
TransportNI can, however, provide on-street parking places for people with disabilities outside or near their homes and/ or their places of work where it can be established that a parking problem exists. TransportNI uses a formal assessment process to do this.
Assessment guidelines
To justify the provision of an accessible parking bay in response to a request from an individual, TransportNI needs to be satisfied that you have a genuine need for a bay.
This means that you must be a blue badge holder and, if under 65, confirm you receive the higher rate of the mobility part of Disability Living Allowance. If you are over 65 you only need to be a Blue Badge Holder.
A bay will only be provided where there are significant parking difficulties outside the applicant’s house. Parking levels are assessed by TransportNI through site visits - the timings of which will be based on information provided by applicants.
Accessible parking bays are normally only provided for drivers with a blue badge, however a bay may be provided for a blue badge holding passenger who cannot be left alone - for example, a child under 16 who lives at the same address as the proposed driver.
When the passenger is over 16, evidence of the need for constant attendance in the form of a letter from a consultant doctor will be required.
A bay will not normally be provided where you have access to a driveway, garage or other off-street parking.
Where accessible parking bays can be located
Bays will be located as near as possible to your home or place of work. However, bays cannot be located where there are waiting or other parking restrictions or where it could create a road safety problem. A suitable alternative location will be considered close to your home.
Other points to note
Please note:
- bays are periodically checked to make sure they are still needed
- bays can not be reserved for individuals and you should be aware that any Blue Badge holder can use the bay
- there may be locations where there is a need to restrict the times that a bay can be used, for example on busier roads - you will be informed what these times are before the bay is approved and the times will also be indicated on an adjacent traffic sign
- if needed, a dropped kerb may be provided along with the bay - if you feel that you have a specific requirement for one please include this on your application form
- the assessment process involves informing others, including neighbours, of the request for a bay
- when a bay is approved it needs to be included in a legal order which designates that part of the road as being reserved for blue badge holders
How long the approval process takes
On receiving the application form it usually takes TransportNI about three weeks to complete its initial assessment. It may take a little longer if you are required to provide more information.
If they are satisfied that a bay is needed then the proposal will be checked with the local police before starting the legislation process.
The bay can not be marked on the ground before the legislative process is complete. This usually takes six months as long as there no objections to the process.
If you have any queries about accessible parking bays please contact your local TransportNI office.
| Causeway Coast and Glens council area | Antrim and Newtownabbey, and Mid and East Antrim council areas |
|---|---|
|
Northern Division phone: 0300 200 7891 |
Northern Division phone: 028 2565 3333 |
| Derry City and Strabane, Mid Ulster and Fermanagh and Omagh council areas | Ards and North Down council area |
|---|---|
|
Western Division phone: 0300 200 7894 |
Southern Division phone: 028 4481 8141 |
| Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon and Newry, Mourne and Down council areas |
Belfast City, and Lisburn City and Castlereagh council areas
|
|---|---|
| Southern Division Marlborough House Central Way Craigavon BT64 1AO phone: 0300 200 7892 |
Eastern Division Hydebank 4 Hospital Road Belfast BT8 8JL phone: 0300 200 7893 |