At first glance, this could be a great thing – the age of social media and sharing means that we constantly get to see the cases of inconsiderate parking splashed across the many digital channels open to us, whether that’s a young parent with a child in a buggy being forced in to the road, or someone less able-bodied in a wheelchair risking life & limb to get past a poorly parked car. We’d all agree that the person responsible should suffer consequences.
However, as the saying goes, let those without sin cast the first stone (or a variant thereof).
New guidelines
Personally speaking, if a poorly placed wheel constitutes parking on the pavement, my local council could make up any budget deficit simply by spending a week or two outside my mother’s house, and that’s the problem; the term ‘blanket ban’ and the definition of which that it constitutes.
A blanket ban on pavement parking, by its very definition, encompasses all roads (London introduced similar in 1974), and this would mean an increase in overhead for all local authorities, not only to implement the changes, but to police it, and of course there are roads where parking on the pavement is essential for the flow of traffic, which could also lead to a strain in available parking spaces.
Then there’s the definition – one wheel or four, you’re guilty of parking on the pavement and liable to a fine of £70 for each offence. (That’s each time it happens, not per wheel). Given the fact that implementing and running such schemes would likely involve significant cost, you’d have to assume that any ‘Parking Officer’ would be razor sharp on delivering tickets.
Inconsiderate parking
Local authorities say that parking on pavements (even with just one wheel) has cost implications, mainly due to the extra wear & tear on the pavement, which hasn’t been designed to carry the extra load of a car. However, that extra cost should be balanced against the cost for employing a 24-hour service of parking officers, unless of course, they sub-contract the work to the highest bidder, which then take a percentage of any fines levied. Conflict of interest anyone?
This is a similar issue to that of speed cameras – catching motorists with a blatant disregard for safety and speed limits is good, treating all motorists in all conditions for a minor infringement of an arbitrary limit, not quite so good.
Simple answer
Edmund King, AA president said: “It is right that anti-social pavement parking, which prevents and restricts wheelchair users, blind and partially sighted people and pushchairs travelling around our communities must be tackled, however, a blanket ban would be a step too far. A street-by-street assessment is needed to decide where it may be suitable to allow pavement parking. Pavement parking poses problems on both inner city streets and rural lanes, so the outcome needs to be tailored to the circumstances.”
The House of Commons Transport Committee are actively looking for feedback on how this issue can be resolved, and the difficulties that it presents, if you feel that your voice should be heard, closing date for submitting written evidence is 14th May 2019.
Put double yellow lines down one side of the street that is two narrow for parking on both sidees
To be honest, the councils have a lot to answer for. When my estate was built 35 years ago, the new residents begged and pleaded for the roads to be wider. The council ignored their pleas, and now, after 5pm, it’s anarchy.
If this was the US with wide roads and adequate parking I would agree with a blanket ban, but this is the UK where some streets could simply not accommodate the residents cars and would lead to chaos.
I don’t even think it is practical have parking officers to fine for inconsiderate parking either as that is totally down to the sometimes warped opinion of the jobsworth who can be unreasonable at the best of times.
I think the best way forward is to have clear rules about only parking when there is enough room for disability scooters and prams to pass etc. Perhaps an app for people to take a picture of a car parked blocking access and obstructing a right of way then submit for the police to fine as some are doing with web cam footage.
I think most car drivers park on the pavement by habit. By parking 2wheels on the pavement they think they are being considerate to road users. What they fail to understand is that even in this case, the car on the same side will have to cross the crown in the road to pass. Therefore it is pointless to park this way. They are obstructing the pavement. Causing wheel chairs, buggies and people with walking difficulties to walk on the road! Fine people and give them 3 points every time they are caught. It’s madness! Let residents post camera shots to the council to be fined at once. This rule should also apply to the police. I see it happen many time where I live in Wales. Discussing.
I think most car drivers park on the pavement by habit. By parking 2wheels on the pavement they think they are being considerate to road users. What they fail to understand is that even in this case, the car on the same side will have to cross the crown in the road to pass. Therefore it is pointless to park this way. They are obstructing the pavement. Causing wheel chairs, buggies and people with walking difficulties to walk on the road! Fine people and give them 3 points every time they are caught. It’s madness! Let residents post camera shots to the council to be fined at once. This rule should also apply to the police. I see it happen many time where I live in Wales. Discussing.
Bring it in. The money recovered from such inconsiderate parking would pay for it to be enforced. It would also enable local councils to make up shortfalls in government funding. Most of the inconsiderate parking is from people just being lazy who don’t or can’t be bothered to walk a few more steps in order to park more considerately.
Totally agree there is no excuse for parking on pavements, the fine is a good Idea.
Same for inconsiderate parking, but then it is already an offence to park within 10m of a bend or junction, it just needs policing.
Driving standards are c**p in in this country and its way overdue that something was done about it.
Japan has a ‘parking’ solution, you can only have as many cars as you have registered parking spaces.
Go and live in Japan then
Sutton (S.London) have white lines painted on the pavements to indicate how far onto pavements that cars can park, then hedges grow out and the pavement gets blocked and all legal.
What happens when the road outside your house isn’t wide enough for 2 cars to pass each other, my brother lives on such a road with a green in front, when motorists parked on the green instead of the pavement the council sent a letter to all residents saying it was illegal to park on it so people went back to parking on the pavement?