Parking on pavements to be outlawed?

PLANS to outlaw parking on pavements to improve access and safety  for pedestrians – especially people with sight and mobility issues – are being considered by the government. It is an issue which has been raised frequently in Melksham by local residents.

Comments from Melksham residents have included blaming “‘rabbit hutch’ housing developments with limited parking space.”

A resident told Melksham News, “You’ll never stop people parking on pavements until the government finds more space outside houses for bigger families to park all their cars.”

Another said, “Blame older houses in some roads, and then blame the builders of the new builds rabbit hutches with next to no parking and too close together. People parking on the pavements do so because they want to try and protect vehicles from damage and allow emergency vehicles through and because they are selfish or too lazy to walk. It is unlikely to change.”

Local resident Julie Lavery added, “I get that there is not enough parking, but why not park properly? There is room on the roadside but people seem to prefer the pavements, stopping mums with pushchairs and children, disabled, anyone really being able to stay safe on the pavement. It seems stupid to me.”

Derek Sowton said, “People still park on the road because they can’t be bothered to walk around the back to their space, also there are a lot of ‘commercial’ vans etc that are dropped off at the boss’s house.”

The Government’s public consultation opened on 31st August following the Scottish Government’s new ruling which will ban “antisocial’ parking there from 2021. 

Statistics show that a  third of people with visual impairments and almost half of wheelchair users weren’t as willing to go out because of the issue – leading to decreasing independence and increasing isolation.

Three options are included in the consultation: a London-style nationwide ban on pavement parking; improving the traffic regulation order process to make it easier for councils to prohibit pavement parking in their areas; and giving councils powers to fine drivers who park on pavements.  

Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking has been campaigning for an end to pavement parking and believes all options are steps in the right direction but a nationwide default ban, with the ability to allow pavement parking in certain circumstances, would be much simpler.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said, “Parking on pavements means wheelchair users, visually impaired people and parents with push chairs can be forced into the road, which is not only dangerous, but discourages people from making journeys.

“A key part of our green, post-Covid recovery will be encouraging more people to choose active travel, such as walking, so it is vital that we make the nation’s pavements accessible for everyone.”