Disabled Motoring UK is looking to build on last year’s record-breaking Baywatch campaign when in August they ask disabled motorists from across the country to report on issues they’ve faced with parking over the last 12 months.
The Baywatch campaign survey is held yearly, and its results are taken to the parking industry to encourage problems faced by disabled motorists to be taken seriously. Simultaneously, the campaign also seeks to change the attitudes of the general public, and bring wider attention to how abuse of disabled parking bays can have a significant, negative impact on disabled drivers.
Heidi Turner, campaigns and communications director at Disabled Motoring UK said: “Disabled bay abuse is still one of the main concerns expressed to us by our members and the public. Our annual Baywatch campaign is an opportunity to focus the parking industry on the problems faced by disabled motorists when parking and sends the message that these bays need to be enforced and managed correctly”
Last year, the campaign gained over 850 responses, the most that Baywatch has ever received. This year’s survey will be printed in the August edition of Disabled Motoring, and respondents are encouraged to fill it in and send it back to Disabled Motoring UK using the Freepost address. Alternatively, the Baywatch survey can be completed online through Disabled Motoring UK’s website once the campaign goes live next month. The survey will ask people to think back over the last year about their general parking experiences in supermarkets and other car parks, which will then be used to improve or tackle disabled parking policies.
In the meantime, Disabled Motoring UK has created a template letter that members of the public can use to ask their MPs what is being done to tackle Blue Badge abuse in their area, which can be found on their website.
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