Driving & parking for disabled people

Motability
Parking permits
Blue badge holders
Personalised disabled parking bays

Motorbility

The Motorbility scheme works only because it brings together a number of essential elements:

• The Government (Department for Work and Pensions)
• Motability (the registered charity empowered by its Royal Charter)
• Motability Operations (owned by the UK's largest banks), operating the car Schemes on a not-for-profit basis
• route2mobility Ltd ("r2m"), a privately owned company which operates the powered wheelchair and scooter scheme
• Manufacturers of cars, powered wheelchairs and scooters
• Car dealers and dealers in powered wheelchairs and scooters
• Specialist vehicle adaptation companies
• Insurance and roadside assistance providers

Over 1.5 million disabled people in the UK qualify for the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance from the Government. What a disabled person chooses to do with that money is entirely up to them.

Currently, 400,000 disabled people have chosen to have their allowances paid to the Scheme to meet the cost of having a car, powered wheelchair or scooter through a contract hire or hire purchase arrangement.

Cars are supplied new from Motability accredited dealerships and customers can choose from over 20 car brands.

There are more than 3,500 Motability accredited car dealerships across the UK and a national network of accredited retailers of powered wheelchairs and scooters.

The Motability Scheme also provides a small number of used cars through hire purchase.

For more information on the Motability Scheme, visit the website at www.motability.co.uk

Parking permits

Tower Hamlets borough residents' parking permits are free to any resident receiving any of the following allowances:

• The higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance;
• higher rate Attendance Allowance;
• or a DLA 404 Certificate for Disability Living Allowance.

We will need to see proof that you receive one of these allowances with your application and residency qualification conditions still apply.

Blue badge holders

Tower Hamlets operate a special Blue Badge holder scheme to enable people with disabilities to park more easily. The Blue Badge scheme is run in the borough as part of a national initiative and it provides considerable parking concessions to disabled people whose mobility is impaired.

In Tower Hamlets Blue Badge holders can park on meters, and in pay and display bays for an unlimited time, as well as in disabled bays and on yellow lines in accordance with national guidelines.

Blue Badge holders may not park on yellow lines on private roads e.g. estate roads.

If you are a resident of this borough and feel you may qualify for the disabled person's Freedom passes, you can download the following application form:

• Mobility services application form (pdf 79k)

More information on Blue Badges.

Personalised disabled parking bays

Residents with severe disabilities may be able eligible to apply for a disabled parking bay near their home. The application will only be successful if you have a Blue Badge and meet the criteria required by parking services.

Contact mobility support for more information

Pid Nos: 274, 276