Pavement parking.

applerose

This is my top pet hate. More and more people seem to think that the correct way to park a car is to have at least 2 wheels on the kerb. More often than not, almost the whole car is on the path. And usually, there doesn't seem to be any reason for it. They would not be stopping any other traffic from passing if they were fully on the road and there is usually an empty drive.

There is a 2 storey building round the corner from our health centre which is apartments for the disabled so many of them have wheelchairs or walking aids. There is also a car park at the health centre but, rather than go in to the car park, a lot of people park on the pavement. The disabled people, as well as people with babies in prams, have to go out on to the road to get past, risking being run over. I rang the highway section of the council to tell them about this happening near the health centre and was told that, if I see a car on the pavement, I should ring the traffic officer to report it. The problem is, if he doesn't arrive immediately, they may have driven off by the time he gets there. And I don't think he'd be happy if I called him out a couple of times each day as I go to and from work.

I have actually started writing notes on sticky notes and putting them on the windows of cars parked on the pavement asking them not to block the route as wheelchairs and prams cannot get past. Doubt it will do any good but at least I feel as if I'm doing something.

stickywicket

Why not take photos of the registration numbers, Christine?. I agree thie ie dangerous and thoughtless.

frogmorton

Good idea Stickywicket and maybe safer than popping your notes on Christine what if someone turns nasty :shock:

It's one of my pet hates too.

Love

Toni xx

barbara12

Hi Christine
This is my num one pet hate has well...we only have one pavement on our rd across from us...we have a lady in an electric chair and one with a walker...people especially workers builder and such are always parked on the pavement..and one neighbour does it and his family ..I never fall out with any one but I watched the lady with the walker walk in the rd...so I just flipped.and went to see the neighbour...he pretended he didnt know he was blocking people from getting past... :roll: he has lived here for 8 years.I have rang the police who are not interested...so were do we go from here.... :? I have even seen the police parked on pavements...crackers
Sorry rant over...

applerose

Thanks Sticky. I think I might try that. Toni, I only put notes on after I have had a quick look round to see if anyone is about. I know what you mean about someone maybe turning nasty. I just think no-one will really be interested in doing anything about it. As you said, Barbara, your neighbour said he didn't realise he was blocking the way and the police aren't interested. I called in to the police station a while back and asked them about it. I was told cars belong on the road and the paths were for people but I should contact the council as it was down to the Highways agency to deal with it not the police. Maybe if I send a picture every day. I think something needs to be done nationally, not just locally here and there.

Colin1

one of my pet hates to

stickywicket

I checked this out and it seems it's only actually illegal to park on pavements in London. Elsewhere it's left to the local Highways Dept. We all know of some tiny, usually inner-city, streets where, if cars didn't park partially on the - often very narrow - pavement, other cars couldn't get through and I guess this is why it's a tricky matter to legislate for. It might be that your local councillor would be your best bet, Christine.

tkachev

Its worth ringing a traffic officer (do they mean a traffic warden) Applerose? Surely its a chance for them to make some money.


Elizabeth

frogmorton

I know it's illegal to mount a kerb which isn't a dropped one in a car......that's probably a fallacy too :oops:

Christine - that's an idea a piccie a day

Airwave!

Toni, You are right, without a dropped kerb, you have no right to cross the kerbstone with a vehicle and therein lies the problem, no one cares whether they do or don't, so everyone just carries on.

Councils will not combat these low level nuisance issues, so they become normal behaviour and more do it without fear of retribution.

applerose

When I took driving lessons, my instructor told me that I would fail my test if I mounted the kerb as it was illegal. The Highway Code says 244
You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.
Law GL(GP)A sect 15. I don't know why it mentions London as it goes on to say 'you should not do so elsewhere'.

Sticky, I know what you mean. There is a road round the corner from my dad which is very narrow and there are cars parked on the pavements on both sides which means all pedestrians have to walk the whole way up on the road. Problem there is there are some idiots who put there foot down on that road.

I think you are right there Airwave. Everyone thinks it is normal now. I did ask one driver if he realised he shouldn't do it. He did apologise and said he hadn't realised.

I'm busy trying to stop too many houses being built round here but I think my next project will be to stop pavement parking.

scribbler

Totally agree with you, Applerose. There's one village not far from where I live, with a row of terraced houses fronting onto a main A-road and all the drivers park on the pavement. They claim they have nowhere else to park. I'd say don't buy a car unless you have a suitable place to keep it off the road.

I suggest contacting your local Highway Authority, (Not the same thing as the Highways Agency) usually this is the County Council to get something done about pavement parking.
Best of luck, you'll need it!

frogmorton

When I worked in B'ham for Scope (wasn't called that then though), the whole road were forced to park OFF road. The council dropped kerbs for each house and it was up to the owner to provide his/her own hard-standing, but after a certain date they got ticketed :?

It worked so I know it can be solved.

Toni xx

applerose

I think it's much more difficult to get anything done when the local police are parking on the pavements too now. Seen it 3 times in the last week.

I did email the County Council but they didn't reply. Might need to try again.