UK transport secretary Grant Shapps has set out proposals for a London-style pavement parking ban across the country.
The government is set to consult on proposals in the summer designed to safeguard 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 different approaches may be required in rural and suburban areas.
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.”
In 2019 the Department for Transport concluded a review that 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.
The Transport Select Committee also recently conducted an inquiry into the issue, with the commitment to consult on proposals forming a part of the government’s response to its findings.
The department is also looking at possible options to streamline and digitise the process used to create restrictions such as temporary road closures for roadworks, special events or permanent changes to speed limits and parking restrictions, known as traffic regulation orders (TROs).
A TRO Discovery Project, carried out last year in partnership with GeoPlace, Ordnance Survey and the British Parking Association, explored the process of making TROs, and how TRO data is made available and used across the country.
A legislative review is now underway to find ways to improve it and make it easier for local authorities to implement restrictions.
Want to learn more about issues, concepts and technologies that are changing the way in which people and goods move around urban environments safely, cleanly and efficiently? CiTTi Exhibition 2020 takes place on the 3rd and 4th of June at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena. Register your interest to attend at www.cittiexhibition.co.uk.
