I agree with Dee Gordon and M Stokes. A person’s entitlement to a Blue Badge should be fully assessed and the application process did need to be tightened up to prevent fraud (September 6).
However, my frustration is where it is obvious the applicant has difficulty in walking. For example, one of my relatives has paget’s disease in his hips. This disease of bone can result in enlarged and misshapen bones. The excessive breakdown and formation of bone tissue causes affected bone to weaken, resulting in pain, misshapen bones, fractures, and arthritis. He walks with a frame indoors and goes in a wheelchair when taken out. He has carers to get him washed and dressed and owns various aids.
My point was, in this case, would it not be easier to accept the GP’s advice of his condition as a discretionary entitlement? Or at least allow one to be considered in the application process. Maybe then it could be speeded up and we would not have been waiting since May for them to be processed.
Tracey Wightman
Victoria Avenue
...I have read the recent letters about difficulties to obtain a Blue Badge. It is typical of public bodies to go from the sublime to the ridiculous. For years the badges were handed out like confetti, to the point where the genuinely disabled despaired as so many apparently fit people parked in disabled bays. This is a cop-out by local authorities for not having provided enough disabled bays in the first place.
Basildon Council only provides 13 bays in the town centre and has recently condoned Euro Car Parks removing disabled bays, presumably to save money on blue paint!
Colin Taylor
Wickhay
Basildon
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