Political perspective LILIAN GREENWOOD MP Driving up standards Why its time for a ban on pavement parking The threat to all pedestrians including older and disabled people, and children is all too real. The government must take action now to bring in a ban on parking on the pavement across England. We are also calling for a From wheelchair users and people with guide dogs, to parents with young children, prams and buggies the whole spectrum of society is adversely affected when motorists choose to park on the pavement. While sometimes it can just be an inconvenience, being forced to step out into a busy road to get around an obstruction can be a real danger. It is clear to us in parliament, through our day-to-day contact with and messages from constituents, that parking on the pavement is having a huge impact on the quality of life of so many people. The government has promised for some time to do something to tackle the issue, but no real progress has been made since it committed to taking action in 2015. We recognise that this is a thorny issue that may be difficult to resolve to the satisfaction of all but, by failing to act, the government has left communities blighted by unsightly and obstructive pavement parking and individuals afraid or unable to leave their homes. This is why the Transport Committee launched an inquiry and has urged ministers The change in the law must be accompanied by publicity to raise awareness of the difficulties that parking on the pavement can cause, and its impact on social isolation new civil offence of obstructive pavement parking, with local authorities taking the lead and given the resources to enforce the new law. A nationwide ban may well take some time to get in place, so in the meantime councils should be given more flexibility to take action to tackle problem areas. They should also be able to create exemptions easily, where they think appropriate, once the ban is in force. The change in the law must be accompanied by publicity, to raise awareness of the great difficulties that parking on the pavement can cause to people, and its impact on social isolation. We have recommended that the government commit to a national awareness campaign to highlight that driving onto the pavement is illegal, and to show the negative consequences of pavement parking. The threat to all pedestrians including older and disabled people, and children is all too real. The government must take action now. A ban on pavement parking is not intended to make life more difficult for motorists, but is, instead, about ensuring the rights of everyone including some of the most vulnerable people in society to get out and about, and move around safely. Councils should be given more flexibility to take action to tackle problem areas britishparking.co.uk 45 PN Nov19 pp44-45 Political Perspective.indd 45 24/10/2019 16:39