Disabled bays in most UK supermarkets are being misused, research finds
Drivers in most UK supermarket car parks using disabled bays without the correct documentation, forcing disabled drivers to compete for accessible spaces...
Disabled parking bays are being misused across the vast majority of UK supermarket car parks, recent research has found, prompting calls for significant improvements for disabled drivers and Blue Badge holders.
Research conducted by Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) – a national charity that campaigns for the rights and accessibility of disabled drivers – found that 86% of the 1007 supermarket car parks included in its Baywatch 2025 survey had a minimum of at least one vehicle misusing the disabled bays by not having a Blue Badge visibly displayed.
Asda was the supermarket with the highest proportion of its car parks recording misuse of its disabled bays, at 97%.
The charity pointed out that the sole criteria for misuse was whether a Blue Badge was visible in the vehicles parked in disabled bays. Since it did not verify whether the Blue Badge was valid or being used by the rightful owner, it estimates that the actual number of misuse and abuse cases could be even higher.
To use a disabled bay in a private car park, drivers generally need to display their Blue Badge so that it’s visible through the windscreen of their car – though rules can vary according to the location and local council.
According to the BBC, reports of ‘Blue Badge fraud’ are becoming increasingly common, with badges being faked and sold online and drivers using badges of family members who aren’t present. One spokesperson for East Sussex County Council told the BBC that one in five badges are being misused.
DMUK’s survey found that 87% of respondents had never had their Blue Badge checked by an enforcement officer. While Blue Badge misuse on public roads is classed as fraud and punishable by fine or even imprisonment, DMUK’s results indicate little inspection by private parking operators, which could lead to large numbers of misuse cases being missed.
According to the survey, 79% of drivers had to cancel their supermarket trip or source other parking options having been unable to find accessible parking on-site.
The research also found that disabled electric car drivers were being left behind due to an extremely limited number of accessible charging bays at supermarkets. Just 2.5% (25) of the car parks included in the survey were reported to have accessible EV bays.
Zoe Rush, DMUK’s Marketing and Campaigns Manager, said, “The results are unfortunately not a surprise to us at Disabled Motoring UK, it is discouraging to see the numbers of misuse so high and to see such little evidence of change over the years, as well as such low numbers of accessible EV bays. Considering the Blue Badge system has been around for decades we’d like to see the scheme re-evaluated and ensure it fully serves the people it was designed to support.”
As a result of its findings, DMUK is calling on supermarkets to improve the way they monitor the use of their disabled bays. The charity suggests increasing visible on-site presence, with more inspection of Blue Badges, or exploring new technologies which could help with better monitoring and enforcement.
The report also encourages supermarkets and parking operators to consider accessibility accreditation based on guidelines from the British Standards Institution (BSI), which cover accessible EV bays to improve the charging experience for disabled drivers.
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