Government urges councils to tackle pavement parking

Date: 22/2/2011

Parking on the pavement creates problems for pedestrians with a pushchair, who use a wheelchair or who are visually impaired, the government has acknowledged.

As a result, the Department for Transport has revealed that councils are being urged to tackle this issue by using the powers they have to prevent motorists from leaving their cars in this way.

Regional and Local Transport Minister Norman Baker has written to the local authorities, while the department has announced that such bodies will be given permission to erect signage in certain areas to indicate a local pavement parking ban.

Parking on the pavement is banned outright in London and while the government acknowledges that on some roads it is unavoidable, it believes that in many cases it is unnecessary.

Mr Baker said: "I hope that reducing the bureaucracy involved in banning pavement parking will make it easier for councils to use their powers to tackle this nuisance and make life safer for everyone."

The government has also recently announced its intention to crack down on drivers who abuse the disabled parking Blue Badge system.

Posted by Mary Treen