Pavement Parking (Again)

[Bill]

I see that pavement parking is back in the news today with Scotland about to follow London in making it illegal to put a wheel on the pavement. I know we've done this to death before but it's now looking more likely that we're heading towards a system fines for everyone rather than just those who show no considderation for anyone but themselves.

Bill

[Observer II]

Not a simple issue Bill;  many residential streets (without integral parking) leaves only the road to park on. Couple this with parking both sides, and you effectively block the street altogether, especially to fire vehicles.   So, half parking on pavements allows continued two way or maybe just one way traffic movement.  It's the ultimate consequence of an ever increasing number of vehicles on an historic and finite road system.      

[Bill]

I understand all that, but what concerns me is that currentley most people do their best to make a  judgemet call and in the main it works. Ok there are those who don't  but making it illegal to use common sense seems a step in the wrong direction to me and as you say could be more hazardous for everyone.

I reckon that this will probably end up being a council matter and they prefer hard and fast / black and white rules applied to everyone rather than prosecuting just the offender. If someone  parks baldly, it's easy enough to report and maybe get something done unlike speed issues where the vehicle has long gone. I'd hate to think that this will lead to yet another waste of time and money signage campaign telling us where we can and can't cock a wheel up.

Bill
 

[Confused52]

Bill, I was under the impression that parking on a pavement such as to block passage by pedestrians, including with a pushchair or wheelchair, was obstruction. As such it is contrary to the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) regulations and is a criminal offence. It is just one that the police do not want to prosecute and use the discretion you call for far too widely, even in severe cases. Instead of their periodic crackdowns on this and that they could do the town a favour by highlighting serious cases of obstruction in one of their never ending weekly purges. Goodness knows there would be plenty of targets and it might make folks think twice and consider other road users.

If it works it would as you suggest be much better than giving the council another money making machine to annoy the public by chronic pettiness.

[Davy51]

It is illegal to park on the pavement according to the highway code, i believe.

[Bill]

I could be wrong Davy but I think at the moment it's only illegal in the greater London area unless there are signs speciffically saying it's permitted. Elswhere in the country you won't get fined for just having a wheel on the pavement but you could get done if you park in such a way as Confused points out where it causes an obstuction or dangerouse situation. We're not talking about dangerouse parking here though but being fined for trying to park with consideration for others.

This has to rate pretty low on the list of police priorities and I can't imagine they'll ever do much to enforce it. It could as you say end up as a source of income for councils where it'll just be photo showing your registration and a wheel on a kirb. Easy money but I dont think it's right.

Bill

[Observer II]

Last I heard, it's illegal to drive onto the pavement, but not being on the pavement - if you can figure that one out !  and that was from a solicitor !        

[asperity]

I can understand the dilemma faced by people who can't park on their road without potentially obstructing road traffic, and therefore put a couple of wheels on the pavement. What I can't understand is parking like this when you have an off-road parking space in front of (or to the side) of your house. Most of the time I have to walk the length of my road on the road because of all the vehicles parked on the pavement., luckily it's a cul-de-sac. Even worse is one of my neighbours who has a large parking area in front of their house which is occupied by a badly parked camper-van that hasn't moved to my knowledge for the last 10 years. So they park their car, on the pavement, further up the road. Ignorance is bliss!

[P J]

Please don,t park on the pavement.

 

[Stallard12]

I am an experienced, competent driver - retired tour bus driver, but on my last trip to the U.K., I found the explosion of pavement parking to be horrendous.  The dangers are unbelievable, the old rule of 'if the obstruction is on your side, you wait', seems to no longer exist, everybody just charges down what's left of the middle of the road and hopes for the best.  I must have clipped wing mirrors three or four times on the road through Lymm to the Old No 9.  Obs is correct, too many cars, too little real estate.