The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that an announcement is on the way, after weeks and weeks of speculation.
New England parking law change to bring country ‘in line with Scotland’
A new parking rule is set to be introduced across England with a major update imminent. The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that an announcement is on the way, after weeks and weeks of speculation.
The shake-up from the DfT will grant English councils the same powers as their Scottish counterparts to ban pavement parking.
Liberal Democrats MP Helen Maguire declared: “Every day people are forced into the road, into moving traffic, because the pavement is blocked by a vehicle. Parents with prams, wheelchair users and people with sight loss must choose between risking the road or turning back. These are not minor inconveniences but moments of danger, frustration and exclusion.
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“Pavements are meant to be for the safe, independent movement of older people, disabled people, families with young children, and everyone who simply wants to walk without obstruction. When pavements are blocked people are not just delayed; they are put in harm’s way, their dignity diminished and their right to use public space denied.
“The law is clear in London and Scotland: parking on the pavement is prohibited unless the council has judged that it is safe and necessary on that street.
“But in England, outside London, there is no such national prohibition and the result is a patchwork of inconsistent rules, limited enforcement, and pavements increasingly blocked by vehicles.
“My position and that of many of my residents and campaign organisations is that a default national prohibition with local exceptions, where needed, is the right choice.
“That would bring the rest of England into line with London, provide clarity for drivers and restore our pavements to the people they are meant for.”
Labour Party cabinet member Lilian Greenwood said: “We have carefully considered the potential impacts of pavement parking to ensure that our approach aligns with the Government’s wider missions, which are focused on growth, health, safer streets, and breaking down barriers to opportunity.
“Tackling pavement parking can contribute to safer streets by reducing risks for pedestrians who would be forced into the road. It can enable more people to walk – the perfect antidote to inactivity.
“By ensuring that disabled people and families can move freely and safely, it can break down barriers to opportunity, which, alongside high levels of active travel, can potentially drive growth benefits. Our work is helping us shape a policy that is not only effective but equitable. As a result of all that work, I expect to make an announcement very soon.
“The research will begin imminently and will involve a representative sample of local traffic authorities. It will seek to include both a physical measure of the extent of pavement parking and questionnaires to gather qualitative insights into its impact.
“That dual approach will allow us to understand not only where and how pavement parking occurs but how it affects people’s lives, and particularly the lives of vulnerable road users. It will also allow us to evaluate the impact of the pavement parking policies that we intend to implement.”