Drivers have been told to report certain vehicles stopping at supermarket car parks as part of a huge crackdown on accessible bays. Experts at Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) have called on disabled drivers to fill out a survey after visiting popular supermarkets to share their parking experiences. In particular, the group wants to hear about any incidents of disabled parking bay abuse to help raise awareness of the challenges faced by many.
Meanwhile, Disabled Motoring UK claims the findings will help to hold supermarkets accountable for the abuse of disabled bays. Their BayWatch campaign focuses on six major retailers with customers at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl urged to get involved. Dr Shani Dhanda, Award Winning Disability Inclusion & Accessibility Specialist, previously claimed that disabled parking bays were a “lifeline” to many.
She stressed that parking bay misuse was a serious issue with disabled people “shut out of everyday life” if they were unable to park safely.
Dr Dhanda explained: “Accessible parking bays aren’t just a nice-to-have – they’re a lifeline. Without them, so many disabled people are shut out of everyday life, whether that’s getting to work, buying food, going to appointments, or just being part of their community.
“When bays are misused or not properly enforced, it sends a really clear message that our access and independence aren’t a priority. Baywatch matters because it’s not just raising awareness – it’s holding people to account and pushing for real change.”
According to Disabled Motoring UK, on average 52 Blue Badge holders compete for each accessible parking bay in the country. The group claims that 40% of customers have been forced to leave car parks because there were no suitable spaces available.
Despite this, the group stresses that there are no mandatory requirements for private car parks to provide enforcement around disabled parking bay misuse.
Around one in 10 road users have admitted to parking in disabled bays without a permit showing how prevalent the issue could be. Morrisons has confirmed that at least 5% of its car parking spaces are dedicated to blue badge holders.
They stress that these spaces are easily recognisable as they are painted blue with the yellow wheelchair symbol featured in the middle.
Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s made clear that all car parks belonging to the company have designated Blue Badge parking spaces which are usually located near the main store entrance.