Possible pavement parking fine

Under the government’s new plans to clear up roadsides, motorists could soon be fined up to £70 for parking on the pavement the Daily Mail states.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said it was considering new laws to prevent vehicles blocking roads and paths that can cause problems for those in wheelchairs, people with pushchairs and blind pedestrians.

The Times has reported that new laws might allow councils to make it illegal to park on kerbs and fine offenders up to £70. This could lead to a ban similar to London’s pavement parking laws that have been in affect for over 40 years.

Councils have long argued for a change in the law, saying it was ‘nonsense’ that those outside London were treated differently.

Councils have been fighting for the change in law for a long time now, wishing to be treated the same as London. However, certain motoring groups worry that a ban could increase congestion in certain parts of the country.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, told the Daily Mail, ‘Motorists thinking that they’re doing their fellow road users a favour by parking up on the pavement should also have an eye to the people whose paths they might be blocking, particularly in built-up areas where thoughtless parking can mean wheelchair users and parents with prams or buggies have to contend with motor traffic.’

On the other hand, Edmund King, president of the AA, opposed a total ban, ‘There are some streets that are so narrow that if cars park on both sides it wouldn’t allow emergency vehicles or bin lorries to get through,’ he said.

The government has announced that it will investigate the issue of parking as part of a renovation of traffic laws and anticipates completion later this year.