Parking on the path

[Fer]

Can anyone tell me the legal issues regarding people who park on the path? I live on an housing estate south of Maidenhead, and at present we are suffering from workers from a local car repairs establishment parking on the estate, causing severe traffic congestion, and generally causing a pain. Now I understand that in theory there is nothing to stop them from parking where ever they want, but we get people parked on the pavements, on bends, and generally so many cars parked that the entry to the houses has become a single track road.

The business in question is meant to have toilets for 15 people, and we are told should not have more than that there, but they have 30-40 people working there, all driving to work and clogging the surrounding streets. We are desparately trying to get the business to take some responsibility for their vehicles, rather than block the streets, but one issue remains if they are blocking the pavements as well.

Any BiB or generally knowledgable person care to enlighten me as to the legal implications of parking cars in (and on) residential streets?

(please feel free to email me off line if you need more details, I am keen NOT to name and shame on here.)

Thanks in advance,
Chris

[pdv6]

Relevant section of the Highway Code: here

[Fer]

pdv6 said: Relevant section of the Highway Code: here

Thanks for that. Now all I need to do is find someone who gives a damn to compalin to.

[**999**]

Are there any parking restrictions/signs, such as yellow lines etc ?
Whether the answer to the above is yes or no, the offence is of Vehicle Parked Causing an Obstruction is complete, if paths are blocked causing pedestrians to walk in the road, vehicles are unable to progress past the parked vehicle etc.
An interesting move on your part, may be to contact the local fire brigade about the hazard... they may as the premises is a business, try to drive a tender through the area in order to simulate attendance. They don't tend to bother much about vehicles obstructing them!
On a serious note, raise the safety issues with
1. the local police or the local traffic wardens
2. the local authority/highways and stress your safety concerns.

[Fer]

Thanks again for the response.
Are there any parking restrictions/signs, such as yellow lines etc ?
No

On a serious note, raise the safety issues with
1. the local police or the local traffic wardens
2. the local authority/highways and stress your safety concerns.
I have spoken with the local council, but they say that they can do nothing until the next financial year. I have raised the safety, obstruction issues with them, since I have a young child, and do not expect 20 or so additional cars parked up on my street every day.

[Byff]

I always have cars parked on a junction and on double yellows at the top of our street. Because they are only popping in to pick up kids at the kindergarten or popping into the newsagent, they think they are ok to park there. The fact there is a car park right next to the junction just proves how lazy some people are.

I'm sick of phoning the police/traffic wardens and I think they are sick of me.

There was a british gas bloke parked there all day, I phoned the police, they dispatched someone and they said he was OK to park there as he didn't want to leave his van too far away for fear of his tools getting stolen. The car park is a bush widths away for crist's sake.

What more can I do

[bobthebench]

Have you tried local cops, councillor, MP and press. Tell them all about the young parents that have to use the road to get past the hazards with their push-chairs. If you can drum one up, local press usually turn up for the photo opportunity. Alas BiB rarely interfere in such "trivial" issues, there words not mine. But he more complaints the better.

Fire brigade is also an option. Premises might need a fire saferty certificate. If there are more workers, they standards increase. Either have a dig at the company direct, or contact local brigade command, who will have a safety officer.

[RichB]

Write to :- Mr S Brown
Chief Highways Officer
Windsor and Maidenhead Council
Town Hall
St Ives Road
Maidenhead
SL6 IR5
Copy it to:- Chief Superintendent Becks
Maidenhead Police Station
Bridge Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 8LP

Also copy your letters to the MD of the company concerned. Say you expect a reply. Be persistent because the won't reply and then telephone them to pursue the issue.



Rich...

[**999**]

bobthebench said: Have you tried local cops, .... Tell them all about the young parents that have to use the road to get past the hazards with their push-chairs.....

Fire brigade is also an option. Premises might need a fire saferty certificate. If there are more workers, they standards increase. Either have a dig at the company direct, or contact local brigade command, who will have a safety officer.

Errm...thanks for confirming my post

[Tony Hall]

Back in 1976 a couple of friends and I actually got taken to court for "driving over a footpath" (Fined £5, my mate was fined £10 the next day!). We were parking on private land but crossing a footpath to get there.
where I used to work, there was a garage at the bottom of the back lane that habitually parked cars & their own hire vans on double yellows (often all day). They were friends of the traffic wardens who used to go there for a chat and a cup of T. Used to move the vans and then bring them straight back after the warden had left. Never worried about fire engines or even other users trying to get up our lane.

[bluesandtwos]

I agree the best thing to do is write to the highways dept / police, they have to reply to you too so you will get some sort of idea what their position is.

IMHO this is a matter for the police to sort out.

[Fer]

Thanks to everyone who has commented on this. Hopefully this week we will have our bit in the local paper, and after that, I think I will need to have a count of how many people are working there during the day, as well as re-contacting the highways department and cc'ing the local Police and the MP.

One of the residents did think that we should just part out on the main road for a morning, to see what traffic chaos would ensue, at the end of the day, since we are outside their premisise it is them who will get the bad press.

Thanks again,
Chris