Should Parking on Pavement be Illegal?
Discussion
MitchT said:
steveo3002 said:
in a ideal world yes , but only if we can backtrack and ban all the homes built with inadequate parking that force such behaviour
honestly theres simply no where for all the cars to go
Got to agree with this. Currently looking for a house with the OH and the parking provision is utterly lousy in most cases. In the case of many newer built houses, parking for only one car and nowhere for visitors at all.honestly theres simply no where for all the cars to go
This, coupled with the ever increasing size of vehicles, is a recipe for parking chaos.
My own suggestion would be to use a Japanese approach, if you cannot show that you have sufficient unused allocated parking for a vehicle then you are restricted to a Kei car rather than the usual Range Rover or other massive SUV.
No because not all pavement parking causes and restrictions to pavement users
There are an area that is pavement outside my house that is a minimum of three metres wide and as much as ten ( the road arcs past a straight row of houses), no inconvenience to anybody
I do agree that causing restrictions should be an offence though
There are an area that is pavement outside my house that is a minimum of three metres wide and as much as ten ( the road arcs past a straight row of houses), no inconvenience to anybody
I do agree that causing restrictions should be an offence though
bad company said:
I think parking on pavements is illegal in London but not elsewhere. It’s a bit of a bug bear of mine particularly in the village where I lived until recently.
I can’t see how it’s fair to force wheelchair users and young children into the road.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czrxdzymwjro
All 3 of those examples should be sufficient for the police to ticket for the offence of obstruction. And that comes with 3 points. I can’t see how it’s fair to force wheelchair users and young children into the road.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czrxdzymwjro
short answer is no.
Too many cars and cars are wider now then urban roads were designed for. Banning pavement parking unilaterally would just cause more issues in a lot of areas. My previous house, almost nobody had off street parking and the road was too narrow to allow larger vehicles to pass if you didn't park over some of the pavement
Too many cars and cars are wider now then urban roads were designed for. Banning pavement parking unilaterally would just cause more issues in a lot of areas. My previous house, almost nobody had off street parking and the road was too narrow to allow larger vehicles to pass if you didn't park over some of the pavement
steveo3002 said:
in a ideal world yes , but only if we can backtrack and ban all the homes built with inadequate parking that force such behaviour
honestly theres simply no where for all the cars to go
As someone who used a wheelchair for years you can imagine what I think. Particularly where it's not at all necessary. But this is the problem.honestly theres simply no where for all the cars to go
Some years ago, I think via a private member's bill, it was proposed that local authorities could designate areas where pavement parking would be illegal. The gov't didn't support it, citing the cost to LA's iirc. This seems a sensible compromise.
As has been said though, planners keep approving new builds where pavement parking is almost built in, by limiting parking spaces per house (1.5 max here at one point) and garages which are too small (though people use them for tat, generally).
No. New building planning approvals should require wider roads or off street parking so the problem is reduced over time but it’s totally impractical to stop it dead right now. There would be blocked roads, emergency vehicles unable to respond and general havoc and civil disobedience. It's a silly idea put forward by the anti car lobby and people who are short on thinking and, as usual a vocal minority. If you’re not rich enough to have a drive or live in an area with sufficient and suitable on street parking you can’t have a car. That kind of policy is not a good look for a civilised society.
A point often overlooked is that the highway is not for the storage of personal property, regardless of what taxes, etc., you pay; it's for the movement of people and goods.
Pavement parking should be banned, and if the road isn't wide enough to accommodate traffic lanes and parking, then parking should be restricted.
It won't be popular with many, but people need to consider things like where they are going to store their car when moving house.
Pavement parking should be banned, and if the road isn't wide enough to accommodate traffic lanes and parking, then parking should be restricted.
It won't be popular with many, but people need to consider things like where they are going to store their car when moving house.
Yes it should be banned and enforced, especially if it pushes pedestrians / wheelchairs / prams out into the road.
However, this approach needs to come with a degree of pragmatism e.g. if the road and pavement are both wide enough, then mark out parking bays that are half on the pavement.
Also, council planning departments need to be given the freedom to allow proper parking provision in new-build housing developments. Thinking that not doing so stops people buying cars is the stuff of fantasy.
However, this approach needs to come with a degree of pragmatism e.g. if the road and pavement are both wide enough, then mark out parking bays that are half on the pavement.
Also, council planning departments need to be given the freedom to allow proper parking provision in new-build housing developments. Thinking that not doing so stops people buying cars is the stuff of fantasy.
Pavement parking is banned in Scotland although not everywhere enforces it.
Being an able bodied adult it doesn’t bother me but I can see how it affects some.
Actually next door parks on the pavement right at a nasty corner. Am I bothered? Well no because it slows the traffic down in what is supposed to be a 20mph residential zone. Take away all the parking and it just encourages speeding.
Drawweight said:
Pavement parking is banned in Scotland although not everywhere enforces it.
Being an able bodied adult it doesn’t bother me but I can see how it affects some.
Actually next door parks on the pavement right at a nasty corner. Am I bothered? Well no because it slows the traffic down in what is supposed to be a 20mph residential zone. Take away all the parking and it just encourages speeding.
Illegal in Scotland since 11th November 2023. A number of local authorities are going to start enforcing it. £100. I understand that my local council (Stirling) will start "soon". Good. At one point earlier in the year, within a distance of 50 yards from our front door there were no less than 11 vehicles on the pavement - some of them even where there was plenty of room on the road!Being an able bodied adult it doesn’t bother me but I can see how it affects some.
Actually next door parks on the pavement right at a nasty corner. Am I bothered? Well no because it slows the traffic down in what is supposed to be a 20mph residential zone. Take away all the parking and it just encourages speeding.
surveyor said:
Would be nice.
Where I live we have nice wide grass verges, which are mostly mud...
People also complain about the speed of traffic. Lets park on the road and slow it down!
I ended up in a couple of arguments over Network Rail vans that would park on the grass outside our house, and prevent safe vision of the road when I was pulling out. I eventually won that row!
We’re in the same situation in the village I live in. Cars parking completely on verges which has turned them into plowed fields. It really gets my goat.Where I live we have nice wide grass verges, which are mostly mud...
People also complain about the speed of traffic. Lets park on the road and slow it down!
I ended up in a couple of arguments over Network Rail vans that would park on the grass outside our house, and prevent safe vision of the road when I was pulling out. I eventually won that row!
As of late last year, local authorities have the power to ban pavement parking.
It's only going to work in a lot of places with a significant reduction in the number of cars.
That may happen.
If we move towards on-street charging bays for EVs, we'll need a lot more control over parking in many areas.
OTOH, there are many places where pavements are not used much by pedestrians and would be better used for parking or cycleways.
And if you're in say a short cul de sac, it should be safe to walk in the road.
It's only going to work in a lot of places with a significant reduction in the number of cars.
That may happen.
If we move towards on-street charging bays for EVs, we'll need a lot more control over parking in many areas.
OTOH, there are many places where pavements are not used much by pedestrians and would be better used for parking or cycleways.
And if you're in say a short cul de sac, it should be safe to walk in the road.
Ban.
Pavements are for pedestrians. There is zero excuse for creating a situation where pedestrians have to walk on the road to get around vehicles; idiotic situation.
I'd go further:
Far too many cars in the UK nowadays and many are luxuries that aren't actually necessary. If you choose to live somewhere that does not provide for sufficient parking for the vehicle/s you own, move to where you can purchase adequate parking provision or lose the car. Perhaps a ban on the number of cars per household too; I'd definitely support that as well.
Too many morons filling their garages with old tat and parking on the road causing congestion. Similarly, too many lazy a
holes wanting to park immediately outside their front door when adequate and often designated parking is a short walk away.
Pavements are for pedestrians. There is zero excuse for creating a situation where pedestrians have to walk on the road to get around vehicles; idiotic situation.
I'd go further:
Far too many cars in the UK nowadays and many are luxuries that aren't actually necessary. If you choose to live somewhere that does not provide for sufficient parking for the vehicle/s you own, move to where you can purchase adequate parking provision or lose the car. Perhaps a ban on the number of cars per household too; I'd definitely support that as well.
Too many morons filling their garages with old tat and parking on the road causing congestion. Similarly, too many lazy a
holes wanting to park immediately outside their front door when adequate and often designated parking is a short walk away. Yes, I would go for the ban. As the pics show in the news item in the OP, the problem is one of epic, epic selfishness and sense of entitlement.
As others have said, pavement for pedestrians and roads for cars.
I do accept that the epic, off-the-scale sense of entitlement that so many drivers have would lead to roads being blocked, but that will have to be sorted.
Maybe we'll all need 360 deg cams to prove who parked where first, and whoever loses gets three points every time.
As others have said, pavement for pedestrians and roads for cars.
I do accept that the epic, off-the-scale sense of entitlement that so many drivers have would lead to roads being blocked, but that will have to be sorted.
Maybe we'll all need 360 deg cams to prove who parked where first, and whoever loses gets three points every time.
Zetec-S said:
Yep, a bugbear of mine. It seems no-one in the country has a clue when it comes to planting a hedge, they seem to think it should be planted right next to the boundary and then just let it grow 2 foot over the pavement. Makes me want to get one of those hedge trimmers farmers use and cut everything right back to the boundary 
Or just contact the local council and they will inform the homeowner that it needs cutting, and if they don’t do it, the council will and charge them handsomely.OutInTheShed said:
It might be easy to see those of us who can afford ample off-road parking as selfish and entitled.
How does parking away from the public highway/pavement make someone selfish?Entitled, perhaps, but selfish?
I’m all for a ban, but I’d rather the local authority do something about selfish parking on double yellows outside of the hospital first. Yes, you are a blue-badge holder, but that doesn’t give you carte blanche to cause a nuisance.
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