> we will ... enable local transport authorities to prohibit pavement parking across their areas at the next legislative opportunity.
Excellent! Pavements are for pedestrians.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pavement-parking-consultation-government-response
Pavement parking has been banned for a while in Scotland.
https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/pavement-parking-ban/
@neil well... I'm on the fence. There are a lot of streets where the only parking is on the pavement. So you have to choose between allowing it (to the detriment of pedestrians) or essentially banning car ownership. Unless you're going to do significant demolition and rebuilding, that's your choice, and I don't subscribe to the popular opinion that all car owners are evil.
> I'm on the fence
That's even worse than being on the pavement!
(Yes, there are areas in which it would be challenging, and this may be an opportunity to consider - potentially for the first time - what is appropriate.)
I suspect that a key challenge will be that we simply have too many cars for our infrastructure, and insufficient options to enable (some; not everyone will be able to do so, especially for health reasons) people to pick non-car options. And that won't be resolved by parking restrictions in isolation.
At the same time, people - including people with pushchairs, in wheelchairs, on crutches, unstable on their feet etc. - need to be able to move around safely, and with adequate space.
@neil This'll confuse them on the #isleofwight. People park on the pavement here even when there's nothing parked opposite and there would be no obstruction if they parked properly
@neil as a born Londoner, I've always been confused that it's allowed in the rest of the country
@neil
I hope this is a positive step. Round here I fear it will just result in the LA legitimising pavement parking. I long to be wrong.
@neil Its no good prohibiting pavement parking if there isn’t any effective enforcement.
@aadeacon It is hard to enforce if there is no prohibition?
@neil @aadeacon We already have this, which covers many of the situations
"Local councils in England and Wales can issue fines for pavement parking if:
Signs specifically prohibit it
Yellow lines or other parking restrictions apply
The vehicle obstructs pedestrian access
Police consider it an unnecessary obstruction"
Extremely rare case when it doesn't obstruct pedestrian acces.
@aadeacon Your point is, of course, a very valid one: without enforcement, the prohibition is a paper tiger.
@neil I have thought for some time that roadside parking should be made illegal and enforced by the removal and destruction of offending vehicles. Roads are for the free movement of people and goods not the temporary storage of road vehicles. I am aware that this move would cause serious problems for many car owners so there would need to a long lead time before enforcement say a year to 18 months to enable car owners to make alternative arrangements.
@aadeacon @neil This would effectively prohibit anybody living in a terraced house from owning a car.
As much as I'd love to see it, I seriously doubt that the current government is prepared put the necessary investment into improving public transport/cycling infrastructure, etc, that would be needed to avoid such a policy causing significant hardship.
@neil Sad it took so long when Scotland had this end of 2023.
