Accessible travel in Sandwell is not just about parking. Residents may need help with a Blue Badge, free or discounted public transport, or a door-to-door service when mainstream transport is difficult to use. The local picture spans Sandwell Council and Transport for West Midlands, so it helps to bring the options together in one place.
Applying for a Blue Badge in Sandwell
Sandwell Council has moved Blue Badge applications and renewals into the MySandwell portal. You can apply for yourself or someone else can apply on your behalf using their own MySandwell account. The council says you will need your address details, date of birth, National Insurance number and information about the medical conditions or walking difficulties that affect mobility.
Sandwell’s published application page currently lists the administration fee as £10.
Who may be eligible
Sandwell’s eligibility page says people may qualify if they cannot walk at all, cannot walk without help or mobility aids, find walking very difficult because of pain or breathlessness, or have a life-limiting illness and an SR1 form. The same page also covers certain non-physical eligibility routes, including some people with severe disability in both arms who drive regularly and cannot operate pay-and-display machines.
Local help to apply
Sandwell’s own support page recognises that some residents need practical help with online applications. The council says local Community Offer teams can help people complete Blue Badge forms and currently publishes the phone number 0121 612 2934. The page also says support is available through Sandwell Age UK information, support and guidance sessions in libraries and community venues across the borough.
If your application is refused or your badge is lost
The council says appeals should be made within 28 days of a refusal through the MySandwell appeal route or in writing to the Enquiry Team, Sandwell Council House, Freeth Street, Oldbury, B69 3DE. Lost or stolen badges can also be reported online, and replacement badges currently cost £10.
Disabled and older person’s travel passes
Sandwell’s concessionary travel page says older people and people with certain disabilities can get a travel pass for free travel at certain times on buses, trains and trams in the West Midlands. Transport for West Midlands explains that a disabled person’s pass gives free off-peak bus travel anywhere in England, and in the West Midlands it also covers trains in the Blue Zone and trams during local concessionary hours.
West Midlands Bus on Demand
For residents who find conventional public transport difficult to use, the current regional door-to-door option is West Midlands Bus on Demand. This service replaced the previous Ring & Ride model across the wider West Midlands from December 2025. Transport for West Midlands says the service is designed for people who find it difficult to use public transport and can be booked by phone or app.
- Registration and booking line: 0345 034 8670
- Current Sandwell-area fares are published by TfWM as £2 adult, £1 child, and free for an essential carer travelling with a registered user
- Accessible vehicles have ramps and adjustable seating, and two wheelchair users can travel together
- Transport for West Midlands says powered wheelchairs, scooters and adapted chairs may need a safety check before travel
- The service currently allows up to 14 trips per week
Useful Sandwell and West Midlands links
- Apply for or renew a Blue Badge
- Who can apply for a Blue Badge
- Support available for Blue Badge applications
- How to appeal a Blue Badge decision
- Concessionary travel passes
- Get a disabled person’s pass
- West Midlands Bus on Demand
- Changes to Ring & Ride and On Demand from 1 December
Last reviewed: 30 March 2026. Opening times, charges, referral routes, eligibility rules and commissioned services can change, so always use the linked Sandwell or NHS service before you travel, apply or rely on a phone number.
