New proposals to tackle pavement parking and make streets safer for parents and disabled people were set out today by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps
The government is set to consult on proposals in the summer designed to improve the lives of people with mobility or sight impairments, as well as parents with prams who may be forced into the road to get around parked cars.
The 12-week consultation will include options such as allowing local authorities with civil parking enforcement powers to crack down on unnecessary obstruction of the pavement. Currently, outside London, only police have this power.
It will also consider how a nationwide ban on pavement parking enforced by local authorities might work, allowing for any necessary exceptions or designated spots for pavement parking where needed, and how a tailored approach may be required in rural and suburban areas which face very different challenges.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
Vehicles parked on the pavement can cause very real difficulties for many pedestrians.
That’s why I am taking action to make pavements safer and I will be launching a consultation to find a long-term solution for this complex issue.
We welcome the Transport Select Committee’s recent report and share their drive to tackle pavement parking and improve people’s daily lives.
In 2019 the Department for Transport concluded a review which looked at the problems caused by pavement parking, the effectiveness of legislation, and the case for reform.
It found that pavement parking was problematic for 95% of respondents who are visually impaired and 98% of wheelchair users.
