English: I was a member of the committee when this inquiry started, but I wasn't on it when the recommendations were drafted, so I'm very pleased to join in on the debate. I think there are several things we need to bear in mind. One is that the more we actually limit the use of cars because of public health issues around air quality or trying to make shopping centres more attractive to people, to pedestrians, we need to ensure that blue badges aren't being used fraudulently to get around these restrictions and to prevent them having to pay for the privilege of using their car on crowded streets. Because in parts of London, the blue badges are changing hands at premium prices on the black market because it allows drivers to park anywhere, and not have to pay to go into the centre of London. So, I think this is a significant issue. Certainly it is there. People with blue badges are advised not to leave their disabled badges visible in their cars, particularly overnight, because otherwise they're simply going to be broken into and the badges stolen. So, we need to ensure that that situation isn't allowed to develop in our cities. I think that the review is important, to look at the eligibility criteria and to ensure that they're being used logically, so that if somebody is told that they're going to lose their sight in the next few weeks, clearly there is going to be a need for arrangements to be put in place quickly to ensure that their disability needs are going to be met. But at the same time, we have to ensure that we're joining up the dots. I think local authorities need to look at how the provision of a blue badge marries up with the provision of a disabled parking place outside somebody's home, because you can have a car but if you can't then park close enough to where you live, it can be a serious barrier to being able to use that disabled badge. I've got a constituent with an enduring physical disability whose parents are very keen to ensure that their daughter lives as active a life as possible, and this requires them taking her to after-school activities by car, as she would have great difficulty getting her wheelchair on and off a bus and then navigating her way to the venue of the activity. The narrow street where she lives is full of people who are blessed with enough money to have one or even two cars, and fortunately all the neighbours support their application for a disabled parking bay, but this continues to be denied on the grounds that the local authorities visit in the middle of the day, and they inform the family that there's no difficulty parking in the middle of the day - because everybody's used their cars to go to work. But this is not when they need to park. They need to be parking at the end of the day, and their child needs to be able to get into the house without huge complications. I think, turning to those who cannot afford to have a car, it's disappointing the Welsh Government's rejected recommendation 8, to fast-forward the establishment of joint transport authorities, so that those with lived experience of disability can advise on the best way of meeting the needs of all disabled citizens. That includes those who don't have a car, have never learnt to drive, can't afford a car within their family, but still have disability needs that prevent them simply popping down the shop without having to think about it and make it instead into a whole-day activity. Disability scooters have transformed many people's lives, and it's always wonderful to see elderly people giving a lift to their grandchildren on their scooter. But I also wandered if the Government will give some consideration to the role of electric bikes, which are less unwieldy and can get around corners a lot faster, particularly in crowded spaces, than a disability scooter. I'm also disappointed that you've rejected recommendation 16, because I think even disabled badge holders will contravene the rules. I never stop asking people to move away from the dropped kerb outside my constituency office to enable people in wheelchairs to cross the road. And they say, 'But I've got a disability badge', and I'm saying, 'You may have a disability badge, but just park a bit further down, so those in a wheelchair can cross the road.' So, I think that there needs to be a much fiercer system of preventing people parking in disability parking bays who are not entitled to do so.
Welsh: Roeddwn yn aelod o'r pwyllgor pan ddechreuodd yr ymchwiliad hwn, ond nid oeddwn yn aelod pan ddrafftiwyd yr argymhellion, felly rwy'n falch iawn o ymuno yn y ddadl. Rwy'n credu bod yna sawl peth y mae'n rhaid i ni eu cofio. Un yw po fwyaf y byddwn yn cyfyngu ar y defnydd o geir oherwydd materion iechyd cyhoeddus yn ymwneud ag ansawdd aer neu geisio gwneud canolfannau siopa yn fwy deniadol i bobl, i gerddwyr, mae angen i ni sicrhau nad yw bathodynnau glas yn cael eu defnyddio'n dwyllodrus i osgoi'r cyfyngiadau hyn ac i'w hatal rhag gorfod talu am y fraint o ddefnyddio'u ceir ar strydoedd gorlawn. Oherwydd mewn rhannau o Lundain, mae'r bathodynnau glas yn newid dwylo am brisiau premiwm ar y farchnad ddu oherwydd eu bod yn caniatáu i yrwyr barcio yn unrhyw le, a pheidio â gorfod talu i fynd i ganol Llundain. Felly rwy'n credu bod hwn yn fater sylweddol. Yn sicr mae'n fater sylweddol yno. Cynghorir pobl â bathodynnau glas i beidio â gadael eu bathodynnau anabl yn weladwy yn eu ceir, yn enwedig dros nos, oherwydd fel arall mae rhywun yn mynd i dorri i mewn a dwyn y bathodynnau. Felly mae angen i ni sicrhau na chaniateir i'r sefyllfa honno ddatblygu yn ein dinasoedd. Credaf fod yr adolygiad yn bwysig, i edrych ar y meini prawf cymhwystra ac i sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu defnyddio'n rhesymegol, ac os dywedir wrth rywun y byddant yn colli eu golwg yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf, mae'n amlwg y bydd angen rhoi trefniadau ar waith yn gyflym i sicrhau bod eu hanghenion anabledd yn mynd i gael eu diwallu. Ond ar yr un pryd, mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau ein bod ni'n cydgysylltu'r cyfan. Rwy'n credu bod angen i awdurdodau lleol edrych ar sut y mae darparu bathodyn glas yn cydblethu â darparu man parcio anabl y tu allan i gartref rhywun, oherwydd gall fod gennych gar ond os na allwch barcio'n ddigon agos i lle rydych chi'n byw, gall fod yn rhwystr difrifol i allu defnyddio'r bathodyn anabl hwnnw. Mae gennyf etholwr ag anabledd corfforol parhaus, ac mae ei rhieni'n awyddus iawn i sicrhau bod eu merch yn byw bywyd mor egnïol â phosibl, gan ei gwneud yn ofynnol iddynt ei chludo i weithgareddau ar ôl ysgol mewn car, gan y byddai'n ei chael hi'n anodd iawn mynd â'i chadair olwyn ar fws a gwneud ei ffordd i leoliad y gweithgaredd. Mae'r stryd gul lle mae'n byw yn llawn o bobl sydd wedi'u bendithio â digon o arian i gael car, neu hyd yn oed ddau gar, ac yn ffodus mae'r cymdogion i gyd yn cefnogi eu cais am fan parcio anabl, ond mae'n parhau i gael ei wrthod ar y sail fod yr awdurdodau lleol yn ymweld yng nghanol y dydd, ac maent yn hysbysu'r teulu nad oes anhawster parcio yng nghanol y dydd - am fod pawb wedi defnyddio'u ceir i fynd i'r gwaith. Ond nid dyna pryd y mae angen iddynt barcio. Mae angen iddynt barcio ar ddiwedd y dydd, ac mae angen i'w plentyn allu mynd i mewn i'r tŷ heb gymhlethdodau enfawr. Gan droi at y rhai na allant fforddio cael car, rwy'n credu ei bod yn siomedig fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwrthod argymhelliad 8 i gyflymu'r gwaith o sefydlu cyd-awdurdodau trafnidiaeth, fel y gall y rhai sydd â phrofiad byw o anabledd roi cyngor ar y ffordd orau o ddiwallu anghenion yr holl ddinasyddion anabl. Mae hynny'n cynnwys pobl nad oes ganddynt gar, pobl nad ydynt erioed wedi dysgu gyrru, pobl na all eu teuluoedd fforddio car, ond sydd ag anghenion anabledd er hynny sy'n eu hatal rhag taro i'r siop heb orfod meddwl am y peth a'i wneud yn weithgaredd diwrnod cyfan yn lle hynny. Mae sgwteri anabledd wedi trawsnewid bywydau llawer o bobl, ac mae bob amser yn hyfryd gweld pobl oedrannus yn rhoi pas i'w hwyrion ar eu sgwteri. Ond roeddwn yn meddwl hefyd tybed a wnaiff y Llywodraeth roi rhywfaint o ystyriaeth i rôl beiciau trydan, sy'n llai anhylaw ac sy'n gallu mynd o gwmpas corneli'n gynt o lawer na sgwter anabledd, yn enwedig mewn mannau prysur. Rwyf hefyd yn siomedig eich bod wedi gwrthod argymhelliad 16, oherwydd credaf y bydd hyd yn oed deiliaid bathodynnau anabl yn torri'r rheolau. Byth a beunydd, rwy'n gofyn i bobl symud oddi wrth y palmant isel y tu allan i fy swyddfa etholaethol er mwyn galluogi pobl mewn cadeiriau olwyn i groesi'r ffordd. Ac maent yn dweud, 'Ond mae gennyf fathodyn anabledd,' ac rwy'n dweud, 'Efallai fod gennych chi fathodyn anabledd, ond parciwch ychydig ymhellach i lawr dyna i gyd, fel bod y rhai sydd mewn cadair olwyn yn gallu croesi'r ffordd'. Felly, credaf fod angen system lawer llymach i atal pobl nad oes ganddynt hawl i wneud hynny rhag parcio mewn mannau parcio i bobl anabl.