Has it been made too easy to get a blue badge?

BLUE badges should be only for people with mobility problems. Issuing them to those who can walk a reasonable distance will put pressure on disabled parking spaces. It will also lead to abuse of the system. Why not include a photo of the person on the badge?

CHRIS HASLETT, Bexhill-on-Sea, E. Sussex.

I HAVE worked out why the blue badge scheme has been extended to those with invisible disabilities. You have to pay £10 to get a badge and renew it every three years. Bingo for the Government.

W. SLATER, Colne, Lancs.

THE fact the blue badge scheme is open to people with a hidden disability, like me, is an important step forward. I have applied for a blue badge because I need adaptations to drive my car and sometimes can’t travel on my own. It’s important not to judge a book by its cover.

JORDAN SMITH, Enfield, N. London.

THE change to the blue badge scheme to include hidden disabilities is welcome but does not go far enough. Those living with Crohn’s, colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases can struggle to get out of the house due to pain and fatigue. But even under the new criteria it will remain difficult to get a blue badge. The changes to the scheme are not far-reaching enough to achieve the Government’s goal of reducing isolation and encouraging people back into work.

ANDY McGUINNESS, Hatfield, Herts. WITH the expansion of the blue badge scheme, will we have twice as many disabled bays? No. So those with minor ailments will commandeer the wider bays and deprive wheelchair users of the extra room they require.

BARRY DAVIES, Chorley, Lancs.