Blue Badge holders who drive a specially adapted vehicle are urged to register their details so they can continue to park for free in Cornwall Council car parks where new pay-on-exit technology is being rolled out.

Badge holders are asked to register their vehicle from today (Monday) by calling 0300 1234 222. A registration form, including the relevant terms and conditions, will be sent to the applicant.

Proof of a recognised vehicle adaption and a copy of the Blue Badge must be supplied as part of the registration process.

Customers who drive a specially adapted vehicle have not needed to register with the council in the past as our enforcement officers are trained to spot those vehicles.

New technology needed to operate pay on exit car parks means this is no longer possible.

Blue Badge holders who drive specially adapted vehicles will still be able to park for free in all our other standard pay and display car parks even if they don’t register.

Blue Badge holders whose disabled vehicle qualifies for free tax and are already registering every year on the Council’s Disabled Exemption Scheme, won’t have to register twice.

The technology for pay on exit uses vehicle registration details and those who have a valid and current Disabled Exemption permit will be able to continue to park for free in both standard and pay on exit car parks without contacting us.

Twelve car parks in eight towns are the first to be moved over to pay on exit technology as part of the Council’s Positive Parking Framework.

The introduction of pay on exit technology in around 10 per cent of our car parks will provide great benefits for the community as it will free up enforcement officers time to patrol the wider town centres, reducing traffic congestion from vehicles illegally parked on the highway.

The council will continue to operate the remaining 90 per cent of its car parks without the new pay on exit technology and in those 100 + car parks, all Blue Badge holders who currently receive a discretionary additional free hour of parking on top of the time they pay for, will still be able to do so.

While the pay on exit technology provides improved access and allows users to stay longer in town centres for longer, which the public have sought for us to do for many years, it will mean that this free hour can no longer be provided for Blue Badge holders in the 12 new pay on exit car parks.

This is because a Blue Badge holder can travel in and display their Blue Badge in any vehicle – not just a single vehicle which has been specially adapted or qualifies for free tax and is registered with the council.

In pay and display car parks, enforcement officers will be patrolling as before and so will see the Blue Badge displayed alongside the pay and display ticket on the vehicle and apply the additional one hour of free parking.

As the enforcement officers won’t be patrolling in the pay on exit car parks and it is not feasible to register every vehicle in which a Blue Badge holder may be travelling, it won’t be possible to apply an additional one hour of free parking in those 12 car parks.

Cabinet portfolio holder for transport, Geoff Brown, said the move to pay on exit would make it easier for customers as well as support local economies.

“Pay on exit parking has been shown to encourage people to stay longer in town centres as they don’t have to rush back to their car when their car parking ticket is running out.

“It also means civil enforcement officers (CEOs) will not be tied up having to check pay and display tickets. This frees them up to do more work taking action where cars are parked illegally – which we know frustrates residents,” he added.

All Blue Badge holders will, as long as the Badge is displayed correctly and your vehicle isn’t causing an obstruction, still be able to park on the road:

• Yellow lines - for 3 hours or less

• Disabled bays - for an unlimited time unless roadside signs show time limits

• Limited parking areas - for an unlimited time

Customers are asked to register before Monday 18 February 2019.

The pay on exit car parks will have disabled parking spaces. The pay on exit technology is being rolled out from the end of February with all 12 car parks being changed over by Easter 2019. The car parks are:

• Town Quarry, Falmouth

• Main Car Park, Fowey

• Milpool, Looe

• St Georges Road, Newquay

• The Manor, Newquay

• Link Road, Padstow

• Harbour, Penzance

• The Island, St Ives

• Trenwith, St Ives

• Garras Wharf, Truro

• Moorfield, Truro

• Old Bridge Street, Truro