Whist I sympathise with people who suffer with mental health issues, autism, learning difficulties, dementia and severe depression, let’s not forget the folk who are physically disabled and confined to a wheelchair. They are unable to walk, period.

As the Blue Badge will be extended to help those poor folk who may suffer ‘considerable psychological distress if they cannot park close to their destination' maybe it’s time we brought in a two-tier system.

Perhaps a red badge for people who are confined to wheelchairs and have no alternative but to park as close to their destination as is possible.

Bromley has so few on-street disabled parking bays and whilst it’s perfectly legal to park on a yellow line, most people in wheelchairs will have a converted vehicle to enable them to travel in the vehicle in their chair and will need the space, more often than not, behind the vehicle to enable them to exit and enter. This is not possible if another vehicle is parked directly behind. Also, navigating the hills and high curbs is not possible.

As I have first-hand experience on this issue and know how difficult it is to park safely, with the appropriate space and where it’s flat, perhaps Bromley could lead the way in issuing a red badge when and to whom it would be appropriate.

I would be happy to pay for any increase in cost that may be incurred as I’m sure would most people in similar circumstances.

With more blue badges on display it will make it very difficult for parking wardens to ensure that these badges are being displayed for and by the person to whom it was issued.

Perhaps the London Borough of Bromley could be innovated in introducing this and maybe other boroughs would follow suit.

A solution to this issue could be that a vehicle displaying the red badge could park in the marked wheelchair accessible disabled bays and the blue badge holders could park, for free, in the many street parking bays or where appropriate, on a yellow line where hills and curbs would not be a problem for them as would for someone confined to a wheelchair.

Caroline Cornwell