Former Mayor of Derry raises concerns over Blue Badge backlog

A former Mayor of Derry has called on Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard to step up efforts within his department to clear the backlog of application forms for blue badges.

Cllr Martin Reilly, the SDLP group leader on Derry City and Strabane District Council, was speaking after writing to the Minister on behalf of a constituent who has been waiting for over 14 weeks for a renewal of her badge,

Cllr Reilly said: “I can understand the frustration of people who are waiting such a long time for their blue badge to be renewed.

“I welcome the commitment of the Minister to get back to a normal service of renewals as soon as possible.

“It is also worth highlighting that traffic attendants are aware of this backlog and blue badge holders who have submitted a reapplication form after 1 April 2016 will not be penalised for using an expired blue badge.

“However, many people – including the lady who contacted me – returned their expired blue badge for cancellation as part of the renewal process and therefore have no method of demonstrating that they have a disability.

“They understandably want this backlog to be cleared as soon as possible so that they can use the various disability parking bays to which they are entitled – and I therefore hope that there is a resolution to these cases in the near future.”