Latest news with #DMUK
Powys County Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- Powys County Times
Tesco, Asda, Aldi, and more to introduce car park changes
Shoppers at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Aldi and Morrisons can expect big changes to car parks soon. The RAC has requested that its members respond to an ongoing survey aimed at understanding the experiences of those who need to use disabled bays. Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) is urging individuals to participate in a survey between July 21st and August 15th to highlight the current challenges faced by the community. DMUK's Baywatch campaign aims to highlight the persistent misuse of disabled parking bays and Blue Badges in supermarket car parks, and potentially advocate for stricter enforcement. Hi @Tesco I've received a parking ticket after using your Cromwell Road superstore a week last Saturday. We took 86yo mother-in-law to store, spent more than £115 on shopping and then took her to the cafe for something to eat after she got tired. For this we've been fined £60 — Tony Evans (@TonyEvans92a) March 31, 2025 The campaign invites disabled motorists – and their companions – to fill out a survey after each visit to the supermarket. The information gathered will help create a more accurate picture of the difficulties disabled people encounter when parking at six major supermarket chains: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl. The 2024 survey revealed that nearly half (40%) of disabled drivers have had to leave car parks due to the lack of available suitable spaces. An additional 36% reported non-badge holders occupying accessible bays. DMUK's data also indicated that another 40% of disabled individuals state that they are unable to park at local shops because they are inaccessible. The need for accessible parking bays is surging at an alarming rate. With almost three million Blue Badge holders across the UK – and a 10% increase in England alone during the past year – there are currently around 52 Blue Badge holders competing for each accessible parking space. These statistics highlight a wider accessibility crisis throughout public facilities and car parks, putting millions of disabled individuals at a serious disadvantage. Recommended reading: Dr Shani Dhanda, Award Winning Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Specialist, said: "Accessible parking bays aren't just a nice-to-have - they're a lifeline. "Without them, so many disabled people are shut out of everyday life, whether that's getting to work, buying food, going to appointments, or just being part of their community. "When bays are misused or not properly enforced, it sends a really clear message that our access and independence aren't a priority.
Rhyl Journal
a day ago
- Automotive
- Rhyl Journal
Tesco, Asda, Aldi, and more to introduce car park changes
The RAC has requested that its members respond to an ongoing survey aimed at understanding the experiences of those who need to use disabled bays. Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) is urging individuals to participate in a survey between July 21st and August 15th to highlight the current challenges faced by the community. DMUK's Baywatch campaign aims to highlight the persistent misuse of disabled parking bays and Blue Badges in supermarket car parks, and potentially advocate for stricter enforcement. Hi @Tesco I've received a parking ticket after using your Cromwell Road superstore a week last Saturday. We took 86yo mother-in-law to store, spent more than £115 on shopping and then took her to the cafe for something to eat after she got tired. For this we've been fined £60 The campaign invites disabled motorists – and their companions – to fill out a survey after each visit to the supermarket. The information gathered will help create a more accurate picture of the difficulties disabled people encounter when parking at six major supermarket chains: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl. The 2024 survey revealed that nearly half (40%) of disabled drivers have had to leave car parks due to the lack of available suitable spaces. An additional 36% reported non-badge holders occupying accessible bays. DMUK's data also indicated that another 40% of disabled individuals state that they are unable to park at local shops because they are inaccessible. The need for accessible parking bays is surging at an alarming rate. With almost three million Blue Badge holders across the UK – and a 10% increase in England alone during the past year – there are currently around 52 Blue Badge holders competing for each accessible parking space. These statistics highlight a wider accessibility crisis throughout public facilities and car parks, putting millions of disabled individuals at a serious disadvantage. Recommended reading: Dr Shani Dhanda, Award Winning Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Specialist, said: "Accessible parking bays aren't just a nice-to-have - they're a lifeline. "Without them, so many disabled people are shut out of everyday life, whether that's getting to work, buying food, going to appointments, or just being part of their community. "When bays are misused or not properly enforced, it sends a really clear message that our access and independence aren't a priority. "Baywatch matters because it's not just raising awareness - it's holding people to account and pushing for real change."
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- Glasgow Times
Tesco, Asda, Aldi, and more to introduce car park changes
The RAC has requested that its members respond to an ongoing survey aimed at understanding the experiences of those who need to use disabled bays. Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) is urging individuals to participate in a survey between July 21st and August 15th to highlight the current challenges faced by the community. DMUK's Baywatch campaign aims to highlight the persistent misuse of disabled parking bays and Blue Badges in supermarket car parks, and potentially advocate for stricter enforcement. Hi @Tesco I've received a parking ticket after using your Cromwell Road superstore a week last Saturday. We took 86yo mother-in-law to store, spent more than £115 on shopping and then took her to the cafe for something to eat after she got tired. For this we've been fined £60 — Tony Evans (@TonyEvans92a) March 31, 2025 The campaign invites disabled motorists – and their companions – to fill out a survey after each visit to the supermarket. The information gathered will help create a more accurate picture of the difficulties disabled people encounter when parking at six major supermarket chains: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl. The 2024 survey revealed that nearly half (40%) of disabled drivers have had to leave car parks due to the lack of available suitable spaces. An additional 36% reported non-badge holders occupying accessible bays. DMUK's data also indicated that another 40% of disabled individuals state that they are unable to park at local shops because they are inaccessible. The need for accessible parking bays is surging at an alarming rate. With almost three million Blue Badge holders across the UK – and a 10% increase in England alone during the past year – there are currently around 52 Blue Badge holders competing for each accessible parking space. These statistics highlight a wider accessibility crisis throughout public facilities and car parks, putting millions of disabled individuals at a serious disadvantage. Recommended reading: Dr Shani Dhanda, Award Winning Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Specialist, said: "Accessible parking bays aren't just a nice-to-have - they're a lifeline. "Without them, so many disabled people are shut out of everyday life, whether that's getting to work, buying food, going to appointments, or just being part of their community. "When bays are misused or not properly enforced, it sends a really clear message that our access and independence aren't a priority. "Baywatch matters because it's not just raising awareness - it's holding people to account and pushing for real change."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, and Lidl to introduce huge car park changes
Shoppers at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Aldi and Morrisons can expect big changes to car parks soon. The RAC has requested that its members respond to an ongoing survey aimed at understanding the experiences of those who need to use disabled bays. Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) is urging individuals to participate in a survey between July 21st and August 15th to highlight the current challenges faced by the community. DMUK's Baywatch campaign aims to highlight the persistent misuse of disabled parking bays and Blue Badges in supermarket car parks, and potentially advocate for stricter enforcement. The campaign invites disabled motorists – and their companions – to fill out a survey after each visit to the supermarket. The information gathered will help create a more accurate picture of the difficulties disabled people encounter when parking at six major supermarket chains: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl. The 2024 survey revealed that nearly half (40%) of disabled drivers have had to leave car parks due to the lack of available suitable spaces. An additional 36% reported non-badge holders occupying accessible bays. DMUK's data also indicated that another 40% of disabled individuals state that they are unable to park at local shops because they are inaccessible. The need for accessible parking bays is surging at an alarming rate. With almost three million Blue Badge holders across the UK – and a 10% increase in England alone during the past year – there are currently around 52 Blue Badge holders competing for each accessible parking space. These statistics highlight a wider accessibility crisis throughout public facilities and car parks, putting millions of disabled individuals at a serious disadvantage. Recommended reading: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda prices set to increase by 33%, experts warn Santander customers issued urgent credit card warning after increase in charges Lloyds Bank customers urged to act now or miss out on free £185 Dr Shani Dhanda, Award Winning Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Specialist, said: "Accessible parking bays aren't just a nice-to-have - they're a lifeline. "Without them, so many disabled people are shut out of everyday life, whether that's getting to work, buying food, going to appointments, or just being part of their community. "When bays are misused or not properly enforced, it sends a really clear message that our access and independence aren't a priority. "Baywatch matters because it's not just raising awareness - it's holding people to account and pushing for real change."
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Major change update for parking at Tesco, Sainsbury, Aldi and Morrisons
Campaigners calling for people to respond over misuse of disabled bays A major push is taking place to push for a change in the rules around using disabled bays in supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury, Aldi and Morrisons. Motoring organisation the RAC has asked members to reply to a survey currently taking place to find out the experiences of people who need to use the bays. Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) is encouraging people t o take part in the survey between July 21st and August 15th, in order to expose the current situation faced by the community. DMUK's Baywatch campaign aims to shine a light on the ongoing misuse of disabled parking bays and Blue Badges in supermarket car parks - and potentially press for more stringent enforcement. The campaign encourages disabled motorists – and those who accompany them – to complete a short survey after each supermarket visit. The data collected will help build a clearer picture of the challenges disabled people face when parking at six major supermarket chains, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl. The survey in 2024 found that almost half (40%) of disabled drivers have been forced to leave car parks because there were no available suitable spaces. A further 36% reported non-badge holders occupying accessible bays. DMUK's data also showed that a further 40% o f disabled people say that they cannot park at local shops due to them being inaccessible. The demand for accessible bays is growing rapidly. With nearly three million Blue Badge holders in the UK – and a 10% rise in England alone last year – there are now an average of 52 Blue Badge holders for every accessible space. These figures underscore a broader accessibility gap across public infrastructure and parking, leaving millions of disabled people at a disadvantage. Dr Shani Dhanda, Award Winning Disability Inclusion & Accessibility Specialist, said: 'Accessible parking bays aren't just a nice-to-have - they're a lifeline. Without them, so many disabled people are shut out of everyday life, whether that's getting to work, buying food, going to appointments, or just being part of their community. 'When bays are misused or not properly enforced, it sends a really clear message that our access and independence aren't a priority. Baywatch matters because it's not just raising awareness - it's holding people to account and pushing for real change.' Results from the DMUK Baywatch campaign will be released in August 2025. In terms of enforcement, the RAC says it's largely down to the supermarkets: 'Supermarket car parks are private property. Any rules about their use will be enforced by the supermarket themselves or by a private firm allocated to manage them. 'Many of these firms are members of the British Parking Association (BPA) and must adhere to the organisation's operator scheme code of practice.' But the motoring organisation warned people about taking the law into their own hands: 'In the frustrating event that you spot someone misusing a bay, it's best to talk to a store manager. 'Approaching somebody using a dedicated bay without young passengers could lead to a hostile situation, so try not to get carried away by the injustice of it all.' Organisation Mobility Disabled said: 'They are obliged to make provision for disabled customers under the Equality Act 2010. No specific number of spaces is stipulated, but guidelines suggest 5% of total parking should be set aside. 'A controversial aspect of disabled parking arises when supermarkets insist that a Blue Badge be shown by drivers wishing to use the parking bays. This has no legal standing on private land, so any fines that are issued or contractual demands made on that basis, are outside of the law if the driver is genuinely disabled.'
