For some drivers, parking on the pavement comes as second nature. For others, it’s a complete nuisance. Now new research reveals the UK has a near perfect 50/50 split on the issue. Half the country thinks that we should ban pavement parking while the other thinks we should allow it.
Research from YourParkingSpace shows that 1 in 10 drivers park daily on the pavement which equates to about 3 million a day leading to the government potentially planning to act and create a nationwide ban on pavement parking.
Change in law
Back in 1974 when the Road Traffic Act was created, pavement parking was made illegal and never enacted. This was mainly due to high contention from multiple organisations and pressure from citizens; it was ultimately repealed in 1991 and pavement parking, aside from a few spots namely London and other major cities.
Now over 40 years later, the Scottish Government has under their new Transport bill allowed local governments to fine for pavement parking. Along with some areas in London, at the minute these are the only places one cannot park on the pavement.
However, new research from YourParkingSpace hints at a nationwide ban on pavement parking that could be enacted by the Government, something which divides the country fairly evenly.
Blocking pavement space
Pavement parking can cause major issues for those who are disabled, have a pram or are blind. The charity Guide Dogs for the Blind says that 90% of their members tell them, above everything else, pavement parking is the biggest physical obstacle they face in the street.
On the other hand, organisations such as the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) have come forward to say that a blanket ban would not be successful, but instead a middle ground of having a minimum pavement width and assigned parking spots on the pavement.
In a slightly different light, people such as postal or delivery services, meal on wheels drivers and so many more could be easily affected by this. Their need for a quick spot to park, drop an item and leave shortly after is where a blanket ban could get confusing. Similarly, for emergency services, they need the closest spot possible to the incident and if a pavement ban is in place this could make it more complicated for the above.
The ABD released a statement about the topic, along with their suggestion “…We suggest that all that is needed on most residential streets is a minimum one-metre walkway. That’s equivalent to a double buggy or a mobility scooter. We don’t object to councils dealing with those who seriously obstruct. Therefore we oppose default blanket bans, but should it come about, urge the “middle ground” solution outlined above – with a statutory requirement for councils to provide pavement parking provision on any road where it is requested and/or achievable while still allowing that minimum one-metre width for pedestrian passage.”
Nationwide split
Not unlike other topics, the UK is completely split on pavement parking with half the country thinking it should be allowed and the other half finding it completely awful and thinking a harsh ban would be good for us all.
Harrison Woods, managing director at YourParkingSpace.co.uk, said: “Parking splits opinion, none more so than the issue of parking on pavements. In many parts of the UK, it is still allowed, but this could soon change as the Government reviews the issue. The outcome could affect the parking habits of millions.”
He added: “Parking on a pavement can cause real inconvenience to pedestrians, but some motorists feel it can be their only option. Our advice, where pavement parking is currently allowed, is always to make sure there’s plenty of room for pedestrians to get past and to be aware of people with a pushchair, with a visual impairment or in a wheelchair.”
One in ten drivers parks on the pavement daily, with another one in twenty parking on the pavement weekly. On top of that one in five drivers have admitted to parking on the pavement at some point in their driving life, although most cannot recall when. With the country completely split, any move from the government either way could prove highly contentious, and so this must be balanced well in order to meet the needs of those who struggle to manoeuvre pavements and help reduce the impact this could have on congestion.
What do you think about pavement parking? Would you be for or against a strict ban? Let us know in the comments below
If this does happen then it is going to cause so many issues with people parking opposite driveways and we can’t get in and out of driveways because of it, businesses then need to sort alternative parking for customers, so there needs to be double yellow lines put down to stop them parking in the first place.
Who will police the infringement of double yellow parking? They are completely ignored in the area where I live and no wardens to discourage it.
the police and traffic wardens
Are some words missing from the first paragraph of the Chang in Law section? Doesn’t seem to make sense.
So…. Ban parking on the footpath.
Ok, so EVERYONE now parks on the road. That will work. NOT. Roads will be chock a block. Residential streets will become impassable as cars park both sides, legally. Then blocking the passage of cars, oh and the Emergency Services vehicles.
Crazy idea.
I agree some folk park fully on paths and block passage of people, that’s selfish yes. But of double child buggy’s and large mobility scooters….? Mmmm.
But come on, if you can pass with a wheelchair was my understanding it was tolerable. That seems ok.
What about blind people who cannot see the obstruction?? Don’t they count?
Don’t ever worry about emergency service vehicles, they will ALWAYS get there to deal with any incident.
We live on a narrow road if we don’t park partially on the pavement wing mirrors get broken off or worse .
Already in dispute with someone as he has accused my children of damaging his car when they squeezed past his car parked on the pavement. Lives are more important than cars
Pavements are called FOOTWAYS
They are called footways for a good reason …. they are for FEET not vehicles
The tarmac is much thinner on footways making them more likely to be damaged by vehicles
Tarmac? Ha we would be lucky to have tarmac, our pvements are part crazy paving and part pothole and have not been repaired in the 28 years I have lived here – and the includes The Mayors Public realm enhancements millions that has not been spent on the streets that actually suffered riot damage also.
While this might be true of some pavements, I have rarely seen dents in pavements, even when a lorry pulled onto the pavement so I doubt there is much factual basis for this comment. And I have seen many pavements where a heavy lorry parked. The important point is that everyone should be considerate of other road users. That means that in the case of pavements drivers should leave enough room for any pedestrian user to get past, whether on foot, in a buggy or a double wide pram. If drivers all did that then there probably would not be much of a discussion around this point.
Pavements are there for the pedestrians, not vehicles. Often locally cars will park to save a 20 meter walk totally blocking the pavement forcing pedestrians onto the road to get past. This frequently occurs around the entrances to the local schools, where parent to lazy to walk often under a mile to collect / drop off their children drive to the school because they are “too busy” watching telly
I’ve seen many cars/typically 4×4\that are parked more on the pavement than the road!
Leaving a sliver of a gap for walkers etc to use…
That’s why they’re called off road vehicles 😁
I have only ever parked on the pavement in order not to create an obstacle in a narrow road. In Gernany many roads in cities have parking bays that are half on the road & half on the pavement. Perhaps where the pavement is wide enough, councils should mark out such bays to be sure nobody is obstructed on the road or the pavement.
You do not want to obstruct other vehicles but do not mind obstructing the pavement for those who Have to use it
It is because it is an offence to cause an obstruction on the road but not to block a pavement. Oh and they are extremely ignorant and selfish.
GERNANY —– where is that
Town/city centre parking is one thing but this affects many residential areas too. More and larger cars have been creating issues for some time and I think it would be wise for people to start asking if they really need a car (scooter/motorbike)?
That’s only part of a possible solution and I think councils and housing associations should have been ensuring years ago that new builds have provision for vehicle parking.
Things change over time but problems like this only come about due to lack of joined up thinking by those in a position do to something about it. Individuals have by and large subscribed to the herd mentality ethos and it may be these problems are finally coming home to roost. Unfortunately there will be no fairness about who will be greatest affected.
The road is for cars the pavement is for pedestrians, quite simple really, the raising of the various emergency and “essential” deliveries is a smoke screen but out by vested interests
Legally the highway including road and pavement is for all users including pedestrians whereas it is illegal to drive on a pavement. However, pedestrians are advised not to walk on a road where a pavement is accessible
There is an old saying:
Keep death off the roads – drive on the pavements!
Prat.
Similarly, if 25% of road deaths are caused by drunk drivers, 75% are caused by sober drivers.
The message being, you are less likely to have a fatal accident if you are drunk! I love statistics 😏
Love it so true.
If driving on the pavement is illegal, why don’t they prosecute the owners of vehicles parked on pavements for driving on the pavement instead?
Why don’t they prosecute cyclists for riding on pavements, when there are cycle tracks everywhere for them?
everywhere?
Unfortunately the cycle tracks , especially near schools at dropping off and collecting times, are full of parked cars so cyclists, and many are pupils going home, have to go around them onto the main carriageway putting themselves in danger. Stop parking in cycle lanes and encourage kids to cycle to school then you woudn’t have so many parents collecting kids and blocking cycle lanes or pavements!
WHAT!!!!! you want a child to get off a gaming station and do something physical…. OUTSIDE!!!!!!
never, never going to happen, sorry!
Totally agree. It should also be illegal to ride a bicycle on the road if there is a designated cycle path or distinct cycle-way.
They do its just not news do an FOI to your Police authority and you will see
It’s because that’s where the current laws around this are stupid. You can only be prosecuted for driving on a pavement if the act is witnessed by a Police officer. Therefore if you are found parked on the pavement there’s no proof you drove on it. You could claim that your car was put there by a vertical lift recovery truck…….
It is impossible to park on a pavement without driving onto it.
So don’t park on it!
Doh!
Impossible to park on my drive without first driving on and crossing the pavement. So we’re all screwed by the money grabbing dictators
Nope – towed, crane and car removal vehicles can place them there. There is also space Aliens and other outlandish claims but have not had any recreational imbibements yet so can’t really swallow those excuses!!
Yep tell that to Domino’s and Pizza hut scooters that feel the pavement is their personal domain hooting at pedestrians to get out of the way.
Not that simple I am afraid, there are some housing estates where it is not practical, the estate I live on was only built in the 1970’s but the roads are quite narrow, only enough room for two medium size cars to squeeze past each other, so people park on pavements, there is no other option, should we park in the street nothing will be able to pass for example the other morning as some had parked in the road almost opposite another car on the pavement the recycle lorry could not get up into the cul de sac, so all the recycle bins where left full!
I understand what you are saying and cars should not be on pavements in towns but housing estates we sometimes no not have a option due to the size of vehicles these days much wider that they where when most roads where built.
I have a garage, Whoopie apart from my car a modest Renault megane does not even fit through the door of the garage, and if I managed to force it through there is no room to open the doors to get out and that’s a 1970’s house.
Interesting thought most European countries have white lines on the pavements where cars can park as they have come to terms with the fact that motor vehicles in general are now larger, here in the UK we seem to be against any type of motor transport these days.
The unfortunate truth is you will always get that idiot who will always take it one step further and ruin parking for all of us, minority always out weights the majority, this is the modern world.
Reverse that – it is now the majority parking thoughtlessly and the minority being socially responsible – Get a petition going and ask the council to build a muli storey car park locally as a neccessary amenity and for safety reasons – or just be part of the majority and park selfishly and say its others problems as do all the others parking on both sides of roads and pavements. Gt the Councillor for the estate involved if its a big area thats a lot of votes – petition protest but stop with the excuses for rubbish behavior
Never going to happen, the council build something! no way, they are to busy pleading poverty. the councils do not give a hoot for their constituents apart from how much they can get off us opposed to how many service they can cut, through winter we have to constantly whinge about re filing our grit bins because they say they can’t afford it so building a multi storey…. no chance.
It is a footpath ….not a car parking space .in my area mostly due to the fact there is every mortal thing in the garage other than the car .
try the fact that garages are so small most cars wont fit! i went to try to rent a single garage for my car. the ONLY way i could get the car in was to line it up, push it in and throw a brick under the wheel to stop it rolling into the doors (it was so narrow) and even then the doors only JUST closed. and as we are citing legal issues, parking without applying the handbrake is, technically, illegal. had my car had an electric handbrake, it would NEVER fit in a modern single garage.
and for the record, i dont drive some huge 4×4, bentley or Mercedes S class. i drive a proper family car which is as small as my needs allow. a humble Ford Mondeo!
Try the fact that the Mondeo (Acually a Zafira a mercedes and a Nissan sunny) parked on the curb so the Ambulance can get through but alas cannot get to the patient or get them out of the house as the Mondeo (actually the Sunny) has only left 8 inches of space and does not let them get the patient out so they have to take them over the fence at the back and the next one to get out the end house on the terraced street and to the ambulance which took them an additional 18 minutes and left the patient with permanent Heart damage. With respects to the humbler Mondeo it is 1852mm wide so a 2400 garage although tight is adequate if the garage is less get a smaller car or widen the garage, all of these are within your choice range and you took those decisions. Having your cake and eating it is a normal selfish analogy, getting someone to bake it forcing others to starve as you ate them all is really pushing the boat out but then blaming everyone else for getting fat and being obese ???? !!
Verdantly against where i live if it occurred we would be forced to park fully on road thus blocking passage totally houses both sides of Street and road only wide enough for 2 cars what then
I part agree. Allow it provided sufficient room is left on the pavement for buggies, motorised scooters, wheelchairs etc.
I don’t like having to bump my car up onto the pavement but do it to avoid causing congestion on busier roads . I am an NHS community worker.
So you do not cause an obstruction to all pavement users? If you do – you are the problem. If you do not – then you are not. Think of the pavement as a river. A car is for the road and many cars cause congestion. A pavement is for pedestrians and that also has congestion – with many pedestrians – Think Oxford street or any busy shopping area. You do not sail a boat on the road nor do you sail a car on a river. You do not want to cause congestion on the road but are happy to do so to those that use the pavement. How many people do you visit in the Community that are mobility restricted and unable to get out. Do you agree with Pete 1 who mocks the Blind person who is trapped in their home?
Parking on pavements is a general indication of many people’s attitudes these days ie. as long as I’m alright I don’t care how it affects others. I’ve seen disabled people struggling in wheelchairs to get past a car parked on the footway putting themselves in danger and all because the owner of the car couldn’t be bothered to park properly or a few metres away where the road is wider.
I know an elderly lady who uses an electric buggy/scooter, if she can’t squeeze through (and she’ll give it a damned good try – not caring about the car’s paintwork) then she’ll go in the road & deliberately drop her speed, encouraging cars to honk their horns.
Two wrongs do not make a right. She may be annoyed if the pavement is blocked by a thoughtless driver, but its not the fault of the other drivers who she is punishing for someone else’s lack of consideration. It makes her just as bad as the driver who blocked her. Also she is guilty of criminal damage if she damages another vehicle and can be both prosecutes and sued for the damages. There are many mobile phones around now that could catch her breaking the law.
There is a law which has never been repudiated that says as prams are classed as a passenger carrying vehicle it should be on the road, does this apply to bikes and invalid scooters etc. Too
Well said
There are many streets built during the 1960s which are not wide enough to accommodate parking on both sides without completely blocking the street. In today’s world many houses have several cars and if people visit the situation becomes impossible. As a wheelchair user I find it hard when a pavement is blocked but as long as there’s sufficient room for the pedestrians I can accept pavement parking is a necessity in some places. Educating drivers to leave room is important. and that should be the way forward
I can sympathise with drivers who put two wheels on the footway so as not to narrow the carriageway too much. I’ve done it myself on occasions, on a road with fast-moving traffic, BUT I do wish they would push their mirrors in to give me as much space as possible to walk past. It’s easy to do, in my experience….
Unfortunately there are still some vehicles which don’t have folding wing mirrors.
ALL car door mirrors fold – not necessarily electrically! If yours fold manually, remember to unfold the nearside one before you drive off!
No they don’t.
Yes they do. You just to lazy to do it.
Join the discussion…The mirrors on my MK1 MX5 don’t fold
Well if you’re parked on pavement causing an obstruction I’d soon get your mirrors to fold.
Sorry “Illbebuggered” mirrors on older cars DO NOT fold in and not everybody can afford Audis etc
Education?
Common sense more like and a lot of drivers forget it as soon as they get behind the wheel..
I’m a cyclist as well as a car driver which gives me greater exposure to these idiots…
As a driver who was a cyclist also I can agree with your first line but cyclists today are worse than cars, pavements are for pedestrians, prams, wheelchairs, mobility scooters 4mph and disabled like the blind not for cars or racing cyclists, if you can’t ride a cycle on the road you are unfit to ride one, if you have a car make sure you have off road parking or use a bus.
off road parking is not always possible in many areas.
Walk a bit further!
IF the pavement is wide enough for pedestrians, including prams is wide enough then there is no harm in parking on the pavement and it can greatly ease traffic flows. Its a matter of being considerate to all road users, whether on the pavement or on the road. More tolerance will help us all to get along.
Then widen the road
Not in my street.I have to walk on road as inconsiderate neighbours take up all the pavements.
Don’t have a car then unless you have somewhere to park it, I would love a 200 foot yacht, but I can’t get that on a pavement, or anywhere else so I’ll have to wait.
I was brought up to believe that if you own a vehicle you should ensure you own the land to park it on, don’t make life difficult for others by parking on roads and pavements.
Good comment Mary.Why buy a house with room for 2 cars when you have 4 then block pavement as happens in my street? Wouldn’t dream of doing that.
Mobility scooters around where I live are like ‘Devils Of The Kerbs’ they show no remorse and will deliberately scuff vehicles, even if there is plenty of room to go by and some also blast along well over 10mph, so dangerous to pedestrians and one incident which involved a scooter user who mowed down a young school girl, the scooter ran over the kid but then became grounded on top of her and it took two grown men to lift off the scooter, the woman then got back on her scooter and tried to leave the scene, but was stopped, the parents of the injured child took legal action against the person with the scooter.
Well after my mum had her stroke her first maiden voyage in an electric wheelchair, not scooter, normal width wheel chair, she scuffed along the side of a car, by accident. But it had left barely any room to get by, she was half in the bush and half on the pavement – sorry no sympathy! Leave enough room for these disable users to get by or suffer the consequences. This is from someone who is happy to park and walk!! Who does not feel they have a god given right to block a pavement in order to park outside of their house.
I am disabled, use a mobility scooter, am a driver & own a property where people park so far up the pavement to pick up their kids, that you can’t even get out of your gate & they cause a general danger to all! 2 hrs dancing presents no problem, but it seems their legs won’t work for a minutes walk to a responsibly parked car space a few meters away. Please think how would an emergency service access someones home with access blocked? Could be your child, partner or parent that needs that help.
Scooters..Firstly it is only legal to drive a mobility scooter up to a max of 4mph on the pavement (which many scooters only do) & even if you have the occasional mindless rider, all scooters, even big ones, are limited to a max of 8mph for road use on (class 3 scooters 8mph max). So I’m impressed by your exaggeration of well over 10mph!
I understand the occasional use of the pavement for parking so I agree in part, so long as a minimum distance is left for pedestrians, abled or disabled, maybe indicated by a line, that would be a good use of shared space. 1 m is probably inadequate as often hedges, signs, bins etc need to be negotiated & pavements are often uneven so on a scooter or wheelchair you may lean a bit & need more room.
We all have to live together, so pause a moment & think of others, think of an emergency access, whether a driver, a pedestrian or disabled. It could be you one day!
It is illegal to drive a scooter at more than 4 MPH on a pavement…
Read the Highway Code and you nwill find that the maximum fine for riding a bicycle on the pavement is £500. Implement the law!!!
I would love to see this implemented. Enforcement is the issue.
Lazy Police.
I once wrote to my local council and local police traffic inspector to complain about illegal cycling on the pavement. I got a reply from both. They both claimed it was the responsibility of the other and anyway its “too hard” to catch a cyclist so I should not expect them to apply the law to cyclists. No wonder there is a large minority of cyclists who persistently flout the law by riding on the pavement, through red lights and cutting up pedestrians which they are using a zebra crossing.
am certainly not going to count on either the council or the police to ever apply the law to cyclists, though I did hear of a couple of cyclists being prosecuted for red traffic light violations in London. Wow! I bet that shocked them.
If nobody is going to prosecute errant cyclists then a lot of them will ignore the law and assume they have a right to behave however they choose. Then of course when they suffer similar bad treatment from the motorist they are the first to complain.
Well said Contax.
Common sense is exactly what I was thinking whilst reading this article
I trust you are not one of the cyclists who think it is perfectly acceptable to ride on the pavement
There’s always one isn’t there Roy ? Most kerbs local to me are ‘shared paths’ …cyclist/pedestrians ? These shared paths are clearly marked up either on the actual tarmac or small blue/white signs showing this but the hassle I get by pedestrians & car drivers who feel the needs to give me grief and for what, because I’m trying to do the right thing but people like you need to make a comment like that without proof, cyclists CAN ride on the kerb what you are referring to.
No they can’t it’s illegal UNLESS the pavement is marked
Exactly.
It may be illegal but so what when the council and the police refuse to prosecute. An unenforced law is worse than useless.
The prosecute the police / council – Misconduct in Public Office
Most pavements are not shared in the UK. Some are, and they are clearly marked, but in my experience you would never know it. The cyclists still tend to ride where they please and the pedestrians walk where they please so such paths don’t actually work and there are still collisions between pedestrians and cyclists. Of course its usually the pedestrian who comes off worst and all you get from the cyclist is a mouth full of abuse for getting in their way.
It depends on the type of path. Cyclists ‘must not’ ride on a footway which is the pavement at the edge of a road. They are entitled to ride on all other paths such as through a park, housing estate etc (whether there is a marked cycle way or not)
I think not. If you ride on the footway (‘pavement’ is not the technically correct term, see below), you could cop a fine and you may antagonise pedestrians. Bicycles are, in law, carriages (as a consequence of the Taylor v Goodwin judgment in 1879) and should be on the road not footway and not only that as a kid of 16 I was told to get on the road to ride my bike not the footpath
‘Footpath’ is the legal term, just look at the deeds to a property ‘Bounded by…..the footpath………
Why Lie Barry.
Why? Do you cycle on the FOOTPATHS?
Totally agree with Alan, but how does one monitor this?
I live in a street where it would be very difficult for an emergency vehicle to get through if car were not parked with 2 wheels up on the kerb. But that should only be allowed where enough room is left on the pavement for a wheelchair or double buggy to pass. that space would suffice for blind people also.
Park elsewhere then, on a different street, or in a car park and pay for the parking overnight. Or don’t have a car. You do not have the right to park on a pavement, where I live it is very possible to park sensibly but some residents feel parking completely up on the pavement and leaving the road only as shared space is quite alright. So I walk in the road with my fluorescent jacket and my dog on a lead, I do slow down the cars and if I am challenged I point to the pavement and tell them I am too old and knackered to climb up and down cars that block the pavement completely. Grouchy woman I am!
Agree with you.
Keep it up – get others doing the same but be safe and have company
Jue,you must live in my street then as that’s what it’s like here.
you have a lot to say Mark.most of it rubbish
Then legally cars must not park on both sides of the road. Time for some to read the RTA or for those for which this document is to complicated , their highway code.
But WHY are people buying houses with no parking when they know they will need to park one or many cars? I see one local estate built specifically with narrow roads and no parking to encourage residents to walk or use the bus (every 10 mins). Trouble is, the residents are blocking the streets so the bus can’t get through & constantly on social media moaning about lack of parking space.
On another estate, similarly built, every house has an inbuilt car shelter (second bedroom over this). Everyone prefers to park their £30k car partway on the pavement & fill the shelter with £100 tumble dryers, old freezers and BBQs!
How can you educate someone who already knows it all?
Councils, like Gloucester, already use double yellow lines as a means to raise money rather than prevent obstruction to roads, why does anyone think councils will see this as anything other than a revenue raiser?
Mr Henly: unless you are a Gloucestershire County Councillor or Traffic Section employee and can furnish irrefutable documentary evidence of such a policy, I recommend that you formally withdraw that incorrect and bigoted statement. The Traffic Management Act 2004 OBLIGES Local Government Traffic Authorities to keep traffic moving as much as reasonably possible. It underpins the deployment of parking restrictions as a means of limiting obstructions, NOT a revenue earner. As Gloucester City council is not a Unitary Authority, that role lies with the County Council. Unnecessary or unreasonable parking restrictions can be challenged in courts, so Traffic Authorities take care to ensure that those they do impose are neither.
stephen cooper, shut the f up. Why doesnt everyone park and block roads, then see how p**sed off people get when they cant get the yuppy tractor to drop their little darlings off at school. But never mind essential services that cant get through like BUSES, DELIVERIES OF MEDICINES, AMBUALNCE , POLICE, FIRE ENGINE. But then people will complain they are burning to death or bleeding to death, but hey ho at least the pavements will be empty.
sounds like he touched a nerve with you there!, Mr Cooper! if double yellow lines were REALLY to aid traffic flow, why are blue badge holders LEGALLY allowed to park on them?
Ban parking on pavement
Ban parking on pavements
Ban all pavement parking and tak the driving licence off people who do it regularly
A blanket ban on pavement parking could very effectively close down access for most vehicles, including buses, emergency services to homes in this country. We are a small country, with roads, villages not originally built for the traffic of today. There is NO alternative other than p@vement parking in very many areas. There can be no definitive solution here as there is no ‘space’ to play with. We mostly have to rely on peoples common sense in leaving room for both pavement users and other traffic. This is especially relevant in our villages and small towns where parking areas are sparse, if any at all.
As an ex-police officer and now driving instructor, I certainly believe that pavement parking should be made an offence and taken more seriously by officials.
I teach my learner drivers the cons of this, in the hope that they will understand its potential dangerous implications for pedestrians etc.
If it is made law, my only concern is that the enforcement will prove rather difficult for the now overworked traffic wardens. And don’t get me started on the lack of police for the enforcement of anything these days – I’m so saddened having to write this, but unfortunately that’s the state of play in Britain at the moment.
Maybe we should start by making it illegal to park on pavements where there are double yellow lines. For some reason, officials don’t seem to care
It is illegal – the ‘double yellow’ parking restriction applies to the full width of the highway.
Nope not in all cases – many pavements are and can be dual use as they are not public per se but on private land that also allows foot access to the public. The owner can park a vehicle on it also unless there are and restrictions preventing. Also Disabled permits allow one hour on Double yellows
If you park either side of double yellow lines you will get a ticket. Peeps don’t realise this, it’s worded ” within the confines of yellow lines” meaning, either side.
Yellow line rules from the centre of the road to the wall/ hedge side of footpath so could be enforced.
it should not be hard to take pictures of the car with number plates and send to police
Parking is the responsibility of the local; council not the police
Try telling the Council this!
On street parking enforcement is the responsibility of the Police. Only if the local council has applied to take over responsibility does this change- and there aren’t many places where local councils have done this!
See 2004 Act and decriminalisation of parking fines etc. you may change your mind. There may be some Police Authorities left in Great Britian that it does not apply to but not many Local Authorities have not. Simple way of finding out is report an offence and see the response you get, You never know you might be lucky.
That’s news to me. These are criminal offences [under the criminal law, not civil law].
However, the Police have ‘given up’ prosecuting most offenders, unless there is easy money to be made.
Police no longer enforce this many parking offences and the enforcement passed to local Authorities in 2004 -Police even if they wanted to cannot enforce without legal authority. And Your Parking control will ignore this as they have not captued the image themselves at the time.
However still take the photo as if you have multiple people doing it multiple times and report this to the enforcement who do nothing you individually can go through a process called a Community trigger getting them to review actions. You can also push for serial offenders to be pursued using the Anti Social Behavior laws which also they can be fined for and breacinh is a criminal offence.
Yep. So many people to nick and only 140,000 cops to nick them. Terrible.
so as an ex police officer, you would be happy to see a road with cars parked on both sides of the road, leaving insufficient space for a police car (or ambulance etc) to get through (especially for your own family) JUST because you think something shouldnt happen? as for dangerous implications for pedestrians, theres 2 ways to look at that. first, done correctly, pavement parking provides a protective barrier from vehicles using the roads. second, as 90% of pavement users under around 35 seem to have no concept of what i knew at school to be the “green croos code” and just walk out into the road regardless of if there are cars present, driving past etc even on a CLEAR pavement, in hopes they will get some easy compensation money, im not sure how there are dangerous implications that the pedestrians themselves are happy to ignore regardless of if cars are on pavements or not.
i admit they shouldnt be blocking wheelchairs, pushchairs etc and (in my area at least) id guess 95% dont. its the minority making the problems for the majority. either that, or councils should be FORCED to go around EVERY housing estate/area and install full property width dropped kerbs and extend front garden areas (where required) to facilitate ‘off street’ parking. which i can REALLY see working in some areas (i dont think)
councils only employ traffic wardens just so that they can fine those who overstay time in a time restricted zone or car park not to do anything about illegal and stupid parking
Yeh! now the government is planning on charging us on average a further £24 a year on our tax to pay the for the police we no longer have enough of, another case of getting less for more money, its disgraceful.
While Stell Darroch makes some reasonable points they assume that all pavements are so narrow that any parking on them will make it unsafe for pedestrians to use the pavement. This is not so and as a driving instructor they should know that pavements vary a lot. So the key is to be considerate. If parking on the pavement makes pedestrians go into the road then it should not be allowed. If the pavement is wide enough then it makes sense to make full use of the width.
The law would be simple to phrase. If in parking on a pavement a double width pram could not get past then it would be illegal.
If enough width is left to allow the pram the get through then it should be allowed. This will help in maintaining traffic flow and reduce pollution caused by traffic jams due to parking only on the road. I have seen the effects of forcing cars to park ONLY on the road on local streets and the traffic jams are considerable at busy times . Also its hard for buses to get past the parked cars, even though they are parked legally. There are wide grass verges which could be used to ease traffic flow but the council doesn’t care as long as they force cars to park ONLY on the road, whatever the inconvenience to others.
It is law under the MV [Con & Use] Regs. As a retired Police Officer you should know this, or were you one who never prosecuted anyone for it? I reported 100’s for it and they ALL went to court [1962+]. The fine varied between £2 & £10 depending upon the wealth of the offender.
There is a big difference between parking partially on the pavement because the road is too narrow and a complete, inconsiderate blocking of a pavement – which is the one that needs to be dealt with. Who is going to deal with it/pay for the enforcers?
No there isn’t, one wheel or half the vehicle, it’s still an obstruction on the pavement, as for paying for the enforcement, I’m sure there would soon be companies set up with wardens patrolling and ticketing all those parked illegally. Nice earner for them and the local councils. 😉
Ye there is. It’s not possible to park fully on the road on my street as it would cut the road off entirely and no other vehicle, including emergency vehicles, could get down it. I’m afraid there’ no perfect solution to partial pavement parking other than applying a common sense approach. There are lots of roads in the UK that are too narrow and it’s not possible to widen them owing to surrounding buildings and cost.
It isn’t possible to park fully on the road on most streets without blocking the roads for all motor vehicles! Hang on. What a great idea. Cars park on the roads totally blocking them except for a narrow gap which would be perfect, and totally safe too, for cyclists – job done. And the space between vehicles could also be used by bucket chains in the event of a fire.
Ludites win!
No excuse, it means your property is not suitable for a car owner so get rid of the car or move to a suitable property. Many property owners could convert their front gardens into a parking space with a dropped kerb, you have to choose in that case between garden or car. Let’s return to having to display parking lights all night if parked on road like we had to years ago. Cars parked facing wrong way without lights at night should be fined, I would like to see wardens employed at night on scooters to book as many cars as possible, that way they could patrol villages also, it’s time people respected the laws or suffered.
I ,agree why do people think they have a right to park outside their house?
no one has any right to park on any road or street fact
As before park elsewhere and WALK DO not ask me where it’s your car your problem
Park & Walk!
And there we have it. This is all about money. Forget common sense. Forget blocking roads. Forget Councils allowing roads to be built so narrow that this is needed. Let’s create a nice little earner for cowboy parking companies.
“cowboy parking companies” aka local councils!
We have one guy near us that completely puts his car, van, and sometimes motor home COMPLETLEY on the pavement. And to make it worse, it’s on a T junction, so you haven’t got a hope in hell of pulling out safety, as you can’t see up the road. Funny thing is, there must be at least 4 policemen living on our estate, yet nothing is done.
As John Paul points out,for me probably the worst,most dangerous and selfish form of pavement parking is where vehicles park on either side of the pavement leading right up to the end of a t-junction.You are effectively blinded looking left and right for oncoming traffic by these parked vehicles and have to take your life in your own hands when you pull out.Double yellow lines leading upto t-junctions actually also include the pavement for several metres and beyond to the verge yet still people will park there.This type of irresponsible parking causes accidents yet the culprits get away scott free-yet as others have posted iv’e never seen the police or any other traffic authority bothering to target this!!
They bleat that they do not have the resource. So here is a radical thought take a photo of the car parked improperly and post it online so insurance companies can see and therefore up the persons premiums and if it gets trashed they do not have to pay out the claim as the driver fully contributed to the damage by their own actions. I bet you would have few parking problems within months
Says it all, doesn’t it?
No need to pay anyone many people would do it for free just to keep the pavements free of cars etc. Me for one
It should be stopped we have sometimes to walk on the road to go around the problem.Ambulances would as now be exempt.
Pavement parking should be illegal and punished with points. As someone who is associated with a blind person and another with a buggy for the child, I know how difficult it is when thoughtless drivers obstruct the footpath.
Deliveries should be exempt for 10-minute drop-offs.
I DONT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PARKING PERSONALLY BUT WHEN I GO TO VISIT MY DAUGHTER ITS A DIFFERENT MATTER THERE IS JUST NOT ENOUGH ROADSIDE PARKING WHERE SHE LIVES THIS IS NOT TAKEN IN TO CONSIDERATION WHEN HOUSES AND FLATS ARE BUILT ITS QUITE NORMAL TO END UP WITH FOUR CARS OR EVEN MORE IN ONE FAMILY IN MY DAUGHTERS CASE IF YOU STOPPED PAVEMENT PARKING THERE WOULD BE PROBABLY MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED CARS THAT WOULD HAVE TO PARK ON THE MAIN ROAD (ONE AND A HALF MILES AWAY) THIS IS A BUS ROUTE AND IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS AND HARD FOR BUSES TO GET THROUGH I DONT KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS BUT DEVELOPERS SHOULD BE MADE TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION WHEN BUILDING NEW HOUSES I AM LUCKY BORN IN A TIME WHERE THERE WERE NO RESTRICTIONS ON PARKING (THEY WERE NOT NEEDED) ITS BEGINING TO LOOK LIKE THE DAYS OF PERSONAL TRANSPORT ARE COMING TO AN END AND WE WILL ALL BE LATE TO WORK AS PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN GENERAL IS A TOTAL LOSS THE WORLD IS A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE TODAY THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE LIVING ON A VERY SMALL ISLAND GETTING UN SUSTAINABLE
tell them to catch a bus that will help to keep buses running and relieve conjestion.
we dont have buses where i live. well, unless 2 per WEEK counts. and none go to where any of us need to be for work!
and moving is NOT an option (and wouldnt change the situation anyhow)
Would you mind not shouting please
STOP PAVEMENT PARKING THEY ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR PARKING A HEAVY CAR OR VAN ON .AFTER A LITTLE TIME THE SURFACE BREAKS U P AND MAKES IT DANGEROUS FOR WALKING ON.MAKE IT LIKE JAPAN IF YOU CAN NOT PROVE YOU CAN PARK OFF ROAD YOU CAN NOT HAVE A CAR
Yes there should be a ban we live in a narrow road students park on the pavements stopping refuge collecting Van’s ambulances fire brigade from getting throw this has been a bone of contention for years the students will not pay for parking on there accommodation site
There are places near where I live where drivers could not park anywhere near their homes unless on the pavement. But the pavement is about 5 yds wide so there is no blockage. The alternative would be part of the pavement being removed and made part of the road. There are also shops with wide pavement in front, with a notice saying parking is for customers only. These are in local villages through which a main A road runs. In no case is travel along the pavement obstructed. It would be stupid to restrict pavement parking here.
Ho. I’m also in a village. Our road is narrow but has parking bays outside houses that have no driveways. This would solve your issue I think. Visitors generally manage to use wider bits or an available space – with neighbour cooperation of course! (The last bit there is the key…)
Exactly – Neighborly co-operation and sensible thinking
I’ve said similar.Also not so long back councils banned covering up front lawns for parking to stop run off flooding drains etc,now ignored by council approving building on flood plains.
organise a petition and change it
I only park on a pavement when, because of double parking it allows other traffic to get through a ridiculously narrow gap. I think that it is more sensible to STOP parking on both sides of narrow roads
and the overflow would go where?
Where I live the roads were not built to accommodate cars nor were they built with garages so the only place to park is with two wheels on the pavement so as to allow other vehicles to pass and I know of several other area where a similar situation exists.
I think the answer is in the first part of the paragraph, not built to accommodate cars. Please explain the thought process here and why you are forcing something into a place it was not built to accomodate. Sadly I also know of many areas and many people that do not have logic or are responsible people that are incredibly selfish and do not care how much inconveniance to others they cause even unto injury and causing death to others by their negligence and selfishness. But hey at least they get two wheels onto the pavement and as close to their house as possible and salve their conscience with whining ”but there’s no space on my road”.
There are roads of narrow widths and if the restriction comes into force it will be impossible for cars let alone refuse lorries, ambulances, fire tenders etc. to get through without causing damage to any vehicles parked; maybe insurance companies should get involved in this.
Why not simply exempt emergency vehicles – oh and penalise developers who build houses with not wnough parking spaces! Eg a 4 bedroom house is likely to have at least 4 cars
Emergency vehicles are exempted
Or perhaps get Local authorities who approve this to not do so and force the plans to be changed – as previously both are culpable
Where I live everyone has got a drive but most of them still park on the pavement. But I am blind and don’t have a dog yet so have to use a white stick how am I supposed to go about my day when they block me in I feel like a prisoner in my own home makes me sick ban it.
how do you know theyre blocking you in? how do you KNOW for CERTAIN theyre even ON the pavement?
Idiot! Have some respect for a blind person. Shame on you!
See previous response to yourself – p.s look in mirror and ensure you love yourself every day
Commuters frequently park on our road (country village) obstructing the majority of the pavement. This makes it impossible for parents with buggies, the elderly or mobility scooters to pass without going out into the road, close to a bend and a junction. It is dangerous, unthinking and selfish. People should have more sense.
New Estates don’t have enough parking for those who live there and the roads are narrow, unfortunately this means that where there is a path cars often park half on the path so that traffic can actually get past. Simple solution put enough parking spaces in and make the roads wide enough to park on one side with enough room for one lane to available for passing traffic.
Don’t buy a house where there’s no space for your car, or park somewhere else! There’s no right to park outside your house.
As a blind person myself and a user of a guide dog, I encounter pavement parking problems every day of my life, often forcing me into busy roads. I am not however in favour of a strict full plan, just leave that 1 m wait for us to walk past without guide dogs pushchairs mobility scooters et cetera. The problem is there is no common sense anymore for many drivers who parked on pavements.
The trouble with relying on people’s common sense is that although 90% will and do use common sense, it is the 10% who either have no common sense or just do not give a damn that cause the problem. I frequently have vehicle block my drive preventing me from using it. Last summer on such regular culprit got a shock when I blocked him in with a 3.5 tonne boat and a 2 tonne 4×4 and went out for the day. On returning I had a very rude note on the car, as he had had to walk 400 yards home. he has not been near my drive since
I empathise, Mike. And you did the best thing here; “Don’t get mad, get even”. And it worked well in your case. The only trouble can be that those who behave in that way in the first place may be fired up by opposition and implied criticism of their behaviour, sometimes leading to an escalation of the situation.
Sometimes? most times. Out of 119 such incidents since September 1st – 116 have escalated 2 have been enforced after repeated calls and actually arrived within two hours to do an enforcement and 1 had honestly broken down. Though I agree with the sentiment reality is different and Mikes percentages are not borne out in reality. It is now the 90% that do not care or are so cheesed off with it happening to them they also do it just to be able to get out of their own drives andto stop others illegally parking in their front garden daily.
P.S all the above filmed, winessed and notified to Parking control and the escalations to the Police with Crime numbers. This is Anti Social behaviour but failing to enforce is now removing officers from attending other more serious crimes. When are Councils and Government goig to wake up to what in effect in many areas is a crisis
I’m afraid it is more than 10% of drivers that are inconsiderate when parking, I avoid parking my car on the street even for a few minutes where I can, I always reverse into my drive where most in my street prefer to dump all their cars on the street blocking pavements so they can park opposite each other and their drives are empty. I would love to see any pavement parking banned and wardens on scooters patrol at night giving out tickets.
so you are happy for cars to be parked on the road on both sides (as there is insufficient parking on many older housing estates and new ones arent much better) so that a transit/sprinter van cant get through then? well good luck when you need an ambulance!
do i park on the pavement? yes. often i HAVE to. or i block ambulances or other emergency vehicles. but i do leave enough space for wheelchairs etc to get past.
You do NOT HAVE to park on the pavement you can always park elsewhere and something called walking or have you forgotten how to
Sadly walking is becoming alien to the human race. As a driver of nearly 30 years, with experience of driving in the Middle East too, I haven’t bought my own car for the last eighteen months but been using the bus. The selfishness of drivers, particularly the young, who seem to be learning to drive alongside learning to walk, knows no boundaries. Breaking the law appears to be the norm. I note more older people using buses whilst the young literally race around. Usually to get to a gym!
Not everyone can walk as easily as you probably can, Using buses may be fine for some people but they are expensive, and often do not go from or to where you want to go. If you live fairly close to a bus route and want to go into town then its probably fine but if you want to go so somewhere across town then it may be two or even three buses to get there. That will greatly increase the cost of already high fares and take several times longer and possibly limit the times you can go. Some routes have long periods when they run but others have a very limited service. I have seen people leaving theatres before the show ended simply because the last bus was about to go. So travelling by car was the only sensible option, or simply stay at home most of the time. These situations are not usually as simple as some people make out.
A rather uncaring and thoughtless reply that takes no account of individual situations. Of course sometimes people are lazy and block places because they cannot be bothered to walk a few yards but maybe the person had unloaded a heavy load or they were suffering from limited ability to walk. There are many reasons why this is an unfair comment. The important point is that if you must park on the pavement you should always leave enough width for all pedestrian users to get past safely. Never park without thinking of how your position will affect others who will encounter your vehicle.
There is no reason to park on a pavement. It is it sanctimonious idiots that propound rubbish about Ambulances and park on the pavement but do not think about how the Paramedic is going to get the trolly out of the house and to the Ambulance with the person having the Heart attack and get them to St Georges before they die all because 5 idiots who thought the same nonesense parked nose to tail and totally blocked the entrance and exit despite there also being disabled signs there. What absolute drivel. If you cant park without causing an obstruction jog on to a place you can.
A very badly thought through argument. I agree that parking on a pavement where it blocks pedestrian use is unreasonable and should be avoided if at all possible. However pavements vary greatly in width and to apply a single rule of thou shalt not park on the pavement is ridiculous. The key point is that the pavement should not be obstructed in a way that forces pavement users into the road, unless it is an emergency. I have seen both ambulance and police parking on a pavement because otherwise the problems they would cause to other road users might risk accidents. Some roads are quite narrow and parking on them should probably be stopped but if the council has not put a parking ban in place then people can park. So in order not to cause an obstruction they may park partly on the pavement. I have seen a few roads where the pavement was a lot wider than the road so parking on the pavement made sense as long as it was done with consideration of the pavement users. As long as the pavement is wide enough parking should be permitted with the proviso that pedestrians should still be able to use the pavement safely without having to step into the road. S in the end its a matter of everyone trying to see the other person;s point of view. If we all did that there would be less argument.
SO agree.
Mike, well done you, but you could have had both boat and car keyed, which could have been expensive
I trust you have a dropped curb to many people these days don’t have a dropped curb but think it is perfectly acceptable to drive over the pavement to access their front garden.
a dropped curb you pay for like I did .the council will help with a loan , thats what I found
Take care in deliberately blocking someone in. They could call the police and while they are not committing an offence by blocking your drive you could find you are prosecuted for obstruction and be fined for it. Its unfair but sometimes the law is unfair.
A good point and something which is often overlooked. Of course very many councils forget this too. In their desperation to block cars from parking on the pavement I have seen numerous pavements reduced in width by half because f the bollards installed by the council without a thought for the pedestrian. Often the result is that pedestrians, especially if they have a pram are forced to walk in the road to get around the bollards. Also I have seen blind an partially sighted people struggling to discover them because they are difficult to find when walking along with a cane. Guide dogs seem to be able to guide their owners around them but there is still a problem that half the pavement has been wasted by thoughtless council actions.
If roads on modern housing estates had been made wide enough for cars and vans to park on the road without blocking the road then i would support the no parking on the footpaths, BUT with narrow roads and limited off road parking the only solution is to allow sensible or controlled parking on the footways. The problem is greedy developers cramming too many houses into the available space to maximise the return on their investments – estates built in the 1930’s and 1950’s tended to have a grass verge between the road and the footway , space which can now be hardened to allow safe parking and a clear footway.
Another thing which contributes to the problem is car makers are making cars much wider than they used to be & longer so a car now needs more space which does not help.
I think you’ll find that it’s the planning authority who ultimately determine road widths and availability of parking, not the ‘greedy developers’. You might also want to look at how much of your future pension depends on those ‘greedy developers’ Steve.
Its both and personally none of my pension – guaranteed – as I was also a Trustee of that Pension fund and know exactly where it was invested
I live in a terraced house built in 1893 The street is just about passable with careful pavement parking Those who choose to block the pavement should be fined but a blanket ban would not be practical
If a pavement parking ban came into effect on my road emergency vehicles would not get through and lives could be lost. Refuse collection would also be affected as the vehicles would not get through. The roads could be widened even if that meant the pavements would be narrower but I can’t see any councils going to that expense.
If the pavement is not wide enough to allow, legal, parking and neither is the road, the simple answer is parking on one side only. Simple!
and where would all those other cars park that dont fit down the one side?
They’d have to find somewhere else to park, legally, and maybe have to walk more than a few, inconvenient, feet to get to their front door. Shame!
Totally disagree. My children walk to school because the school is on our side of the road. However, cars park there so the children have to walk on the road or cross over a busy road and back again to school. I am fed up with cars being more important than lives. Government is always telling us to get fitter, walk children to school, but drivers seem to take priority. I hope the pavement ban for England is implemented as soon as possible. There is a car park 200 yards away but drivers don’t want to walk that distance!!
Don’t ever worry about emergency service vehicles, they are frequently blocked but will ALWAYS get there to deal with any incident.
So the ABD says a minimum of 1 metre iall that’s needed, so all drivers are going to carry a tape measure to insure they have the correct width, I think their living in cloud cuckoo land, a pavement is for walking on not for vehicles. I have actually witnessed a mother with her pram, scratch the side of a car not on purpose, but because she wasn’t going into the middle of the road, she had about 2 inches of room, I say we’ll done to her.
I live in small village and pavements are routinely blocked by some residents who have garages but use them as an extra room . My daughter lives in Leeds and has to walk into the road when taking the kids to school. parking on pavements should be allowed for emergency vehicles for access and deliveries, but leaving your car for shopping and work on a pavement should be banned
The problem arises when the cars are taken off the pavement and put fully on the road, and the cars on the other side are also on the road, just enough room for one car at a time to get through, but leaving the Fire Brigade unable to get past, and the house at the end of the cul-de-sac going up in flames.
Use part of your property for parking, get your car off the road and it will also be off the pavement.
The Fire Brigade not being able to get through is due to the ignorant drivers parking causing an obstruction instead of leaving room for both pedestrians and Emergency vehicles – Do not park in narrow roads or on pavements Get it – the problem arises because Car drivers park and obstruct others in places they should not. Its caused by too many people in too small a space and they all want a car irrespective that there is no space, so they get one and force it in and then blame everything else when it does not fit. Not one thinks ah I am an idiot why did I buy a car that I can’t park where I live and cause my Neighbor to lose thier home as the Fire Brigade could not get through and my other Neighbor died as I parked on the pavement and bloced their front door. Or continually have to pay for a new mirrors as scooters keep smashing it when I park on the pavement and cars keep smashing it when I park on the narrow road. Nope the problem is the stupid thoughtless driver.
Yes I had that conversation with a police officer when I complained about cars blocking the pavement. He said the driver had his wing mirror smashed which is why he parked totally on the pavement. I said but it is a pavement. He told me to cross over the road to avoid the car and back again!
You would have to put a parking ban one side of the street in a lot of cases some roads are so narrow that is why they park on the pavement
Pavement parking is a nightmare where I live you have to walk into the road just to get round the vechles their is no consideration for mums with buggies they also park on corners so if your driving you are on wrong side of the road. How emergency vechles will get through in an emergency I don’t know. I just hope it is that person who needs the emergency service.
Me58du
As a sight impaired pedestrian I have majority problems with instructions on footpaths. Even if a 1m. strip was left, two people can not walk side by side., and wing mirrors can be painful Footpaths are for pedestrians. I don’t walk down the road, they are for cars. I also think new developments should include sufficient off road parking by law.
fair point and i agree with sufficient parking, but how does that help EXISTING estates etc? in reality it just creates MORE issues
My view has always been if the road is to narrow to park on without mounting the pavement then don’t park there.
The stupid thing is people will park on the pavement in places where there is ample space, leaving the illusion that two cars could squeeze by each other. A recipe for disaster potentially.
I understood that they are footpaths so have always objected to their use as parking places and race-tracks by two-wheeled lunatics. Similarly I was under the impression that roads were intended for traffic not for use as overnight or long term parking; the simple answer here is a rule of ‘no off-road parking space, no car ownership’.
If everybody in my street parked on the road the bin men and delivery lorrys will not get up it
As a driver who parks on pavements occasionally I say make it an offence if less than a metre of pavement is left clear.
Parking on pavements has become a big problem with some drives parking the whole car on the pavement, it should be stopped but with some allowances for certain vehicles.
If you live on a street wirh no off road parking, and the street is quite narrow, the only option for a resident is to park on the pavement to avoid blocking the road for passing traffic. I think this should be allowed as long as the cars don’t cover rhe whole width of the pavement.
Wheelchair users, people with prams and the blind have a right to use hazard free footpaths without risk. Parking on pavements is an anti social selfish act and should be treated as an offence.
If the country is split 50/50 on it, what we need is a referendum. That’ll settle it.
I hope that was an attempt at levity…,
If we could levitate, we wouldn’t need cars! 🤣
Is that a topical reference, or a comment on statistics in general?!😏🤔
This would create hell in most communities where parking would cause havoc on the road for normal movement of traffic, most roads are too narrow to not allow pavement parking. This is just another easy target for parking attendants to dish out parking fines, just another tax on the motorist. It’s ok for MPs who have their car parked for them, normal life does not occur to them when they make such decisions.
lets have a national vote, we appear to want them for everything else, although the MPs will not take any notice of a democratic vote if it does not suit them.
A partial ban say less than 50% of the vehicle would be the best option there are plenty of places where the parking situation is very bad and if not allowed to park on pavement’s roads would be impassable by large vehicles such as ambulance and fire.