BLUE Badge drivers vented their anger after they became stuck in a 25 car queue on their way into a busy hospital.
At one point security was called for due to the scale of the queue for the blue badge car park at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.
Steve SalterDisabled parking at a Kent hospital has been described as shambolic[/caption]
Steve Salter, who travelled with a friend to the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, described “nightmare scenes” to Kent Online.
He said: “I would say there were about 20 to 25 cars waiting to use the car park.
“It’s a shambles as there seems to be constant queues now.
“It was at a complete standstill on Tuesday, it was one in and one out. They even had security there to manage the traffic.”
East Kent Hospitals Trust, who run the hospital, said blue badge parking spaces have only decreased from 52 to 50 since the improvement work on the A&E unit started.
Bosses said they had been able to create “an additional 22 disabled parking bays in the area that was occupied by the building contractors.”
A spokesperson said: “Additional traffic marshals have been on site while the building work was ongoing, to maintain safety for patients and staff and to advise visitors on available parking.”
The hospital’s accident and emergency department had been extended over the last 12 months.
Bosses said the work – which is now complete – “would help the team see and treat more patients in a timely way” and “in much improved surroundings”.
The blue badge scheme was launched in 1970 and around 2.4million disabled people in England have one.
It enables them to park free of charge in pay and display bays.
They are also able to park free of charge for up to three hours on yellow lines.
They cost £10 from local authorities, and Londoners will be exempt from the Congestion Charge.
You can apply for a blue badge if you’re disabled or care for a child with a health condition.
Councils charge for the permit, with the highest being £10.
You can apply online at gov.uk.