Consultation takes a start on banning pavement parking in England

Parking on pavements could be prohibited throughout England under government plans to ease journeys for disabled people and parents pushing prams.

The practice is currently prohibited in London but elsewhere in the country, it is only banned for lorries.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is consulting on three alternatives in relation to pavement parking: extending the London-style ban nationwide, making it easier for councils to prohibit pavement parking, and providing councils the power to fine offenders.

The new research from charity Guide Dogs showed that 32% of people with visual impairments and 48% of wheelchair users are less keen to go out on their own due to antisocial pavement parking.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “Parking on pavements means wheelchair users, visually impaired people and parents with pushchairs can be forced into the road, which is not only dangerous but discourages people from making journeys.

“A key part of our green, post-Covid recovery will be encouraging more people to choose active travel, such as walking, so it is vital that we make the nation’s pavements accessible for everyone. Pavement parking presents a clear safety risk when parked cars occupy the pavement and force vulnerable pedestrians to move into the road.”

The DfT said that any measures will be required to “ensure the free-flow of traffic and access for the emergency services”.

A report by the Commons transport select committee in September 2019 called for a blanket ban on the “blight” of parking on pavements throughout the country.