6.1 An organisational badge may be issued to an organisation for use in a motor vehicle or vehicles when the vehicle or vehicles are to be used to carry disabled people who would themselves be eligible for a badge as specified in Section 4(2) of the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000 (“the 2000 Regulations”).
6.2 An ‘organisation’ is defined in the 2000 Regulations as meaning an organisation concerned with the care of disabled persons to which a disabled person’s badge may be issued in accordance with section 21(4) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.
6.3 Staffordshire County Council will check whether the organisation in question:
- Cares for and transports disabled people who would themselves meet one or more of the eligibility criteria for an individual Blue Badge
- Has a clear need for an organisational badge rather than using the individual Blue Badges of people it is transporting.
6.4 Staffordshire County Council considers that taxi or private hire operators would not be eligible for an organisational Blue Badge as they are not usually responsible for the care of disabled people who would meet one or more of the eligibility criteria for a badge. Such operators are, of course, able to use an individual’s Blue Badge when carrying that person as a passenger.
6.5 This same criterion applies to vehicles owned by the council which are used to carry out the functions of a taxi or private hire operator. Applications for badges from organisations caring for disabled people will be examined to ensure that they are genuine and necessary.
6.6 It is for local authorities to make this judgement, based on their local knowledge of the organisation concerned. Common examples of organisations that may be eligible include residential care homes, hospices or local authority social services departments and community transport operators that transport groups of people who would meet the eligibility criteria for an individual Blue Badge.
6.7 In order to help determine eligibility of applications, Staffordshire Council will ask the applicant organisations:
- About the number of qualifying disabled people being cared for.
- About the type of vehicle(s) being used to carry them, whether it is adapted and how.
- Describe the needs of the service users in their care, detailing both mobility and psychological needs.
- Why the organisation feels they need an organisational badge rather than using individual Blue Badges of people in their care.
- How often the badge is likely to be used and for what purpose.
6.8 Organisations must care for a minimum of six eligible people in order to be considered for an organisational badge.
6.9 Organisations must have a contract in place to care for their eligible disabled customer for a period of at least three years in order to be considered for an organisational badge.
6.10 All employees of the organisation who will be using the badge will be reminded that they must only use the badge for the purposes of transporting disabled people who meet one or more of the eligibility criteria for a badge. These employees will be reminded that if they use the badge to take advantage of the concessions when there are no passengers in the vehicle who are themselves eligible for a badge, they could face a fine of up to £1,000.
6.11 The number of badges given to any organisation will be considered on an individual basis and will be dependent on the number of people cared for and registered vehicles.