THE disabled parking badge scheme was never intended to be a free parking permit, it was intended to allow disabled people to park closer to where they needed to be, so that they would not suffer unnecessarily.

However, if the council makes disabled drivers pay for using parking spaces many drivers will simply choose to park on double yellow lines instead, thus causing more obstructions and traffic congestion.

After all, why pay for a space if you can park for free on the road?

Karen Francis, Stanley Close, Westhoughton