(2) what steps his Department has taken to raise awareness amongst drivers of the problems caused by incorrect parking in disabled parking bays.
The Department for Transport has not made any assessment of the effectiveness of road markings distinguishing parking bays for disabled people.
On-street parking provision and enforcement is the responsibility of individual local authorities. In this context local authorities are best placed to raise the awareness of both disabled and non-disabled drivers about the provision for parking and how disabled parking bays should be used.
The provision and enforcement of parking bays in off-street car parks, whether local authority or privately owned, is a matter for individual car park operators. The Department issues advice on signage and markings in off-street car parks in its Traffic Advisory Leaflet 5/95, “Parking for Disabled People”.
The Department is conducting a three month review of the Blue Badge Scheme which will aid us in the publication of a comprehensive Blue Badge Reform Strategy by April 2008. Tackling abuse of the Blue Badge Scheme and the issue of enforcement of disabled person's parking bays on-street will be included in the review.