Would you like a ban on cars parking on pavements?

[StarsBright]

‘MPs call for blanket ban on car parking on pavements.’

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/car-parking-pavement-ban-britain-uk-government-a9096991.html

Having needed to use a wheelchair recently I’d really like to see a change in this behaviour. It makes it difficult to get around when cars park on the pavement without leaving enough of a gap for a wheelchair to get through. It’s also frustrating and dangerous for those with prams, the partially sighted and pedestrians.

I do understand that it’s not an easy issue to solve and some roads are very narrow, however there has already a ban in place in London for decades.

I’d be interested to hear thoughts on this!

It appears to have worked in London.

Perhaps that's something to do with the billions spent on public transport?

Or something to do with huge amounts of employment centralised in a relatively small area around which huge numbers of people live.

Just because something works in a city that has had billions spent on it, doesn't mean it will work in a run down Northern town!

I own (and maintain) the pavement outside my house.

I rarely park on there as I have a drive.

Whilst I fully support a ban on parking that would cause issues, I would hope extenuating circumstances would be taken into consideration!

Peoples work vans are the problem around here - lots of tradesman. Height of vans blocks visibility when emerging; width of vans means they have to park on pavements and reduce space to pass; also means there is often 2 or 3 cars plus a works van per household.

Why would improving public transport and introducing congestion charging not work in a run down northern town?

You yourself say that it worked in London, because money was spent on making it happen. If money was spent in this hypothetical run down northern town, why wouldn’t that work?

Why would improving public transport and introducing congestion charging not work in a run down northern town?

Where’s the money coming from?

The Leeds tram scheme (so not a run down northern town) failed. What makes you think it would work somewhere with high unemployment and few employment opportunities.

The thing is, it’s easy to blame government policy for people becoming more reliant on cars

The problem is that isn't government policy and hasn't been for years. Hence the restrictions on provision of off street parking for new builds, and the total horlicks made of city centres where it's now quicker to walk than drive. Anyone who has sat at a junction and thought "they should synchronise the pedestrian and traffic lights" will have seen the policy in effect.

The mantra - since the 1990s - has be "use public transport" with anything which promotes or aids private motoring discouraged.

But then public transport has got much less to do with transporting the public quickly and efficiently as possible as it has transporting their money as quickly and efficiently as possible - into shareholders wallets.

So people get **ed from two sides. A policy that discourages car use and plans around that coupled with a policy that delivers what can best be described as "imaginative" public transport solutions.

And this is the second thread where I'll refer to the buses/wheelchair thread currently running as on example.

The debate is not about where the money is coming from, but why other towns could not, in theory, improve public transport and reduce car use. And, by extension, blocking of pavements!

Work vans are definitely an issue where I live too. I remember one being parked directly on the street corner once so you couldn’t see around it to check whether any traffic was coming, had to cross blindly. Completely irresponsible parking.

I don’t think a ban would work if I’m being honest. A ban would require police or in the very least traffic wardens to police streets and they’re obviously overstretched as it is. My DC’s school has a real issue with parents parking on the double yellows directly outside school and even in the bus stop. No one gives a fuck, everyone just parks wherever they please. The school tried to curb it but absolutely nobody paid any attention to the letters home or the big poster attached to school gates. One day traffic wardens turned up and everyone parked elsewhere, next day they returned to normal parking .

Also, if there is high unemployment in this mythical run down northern town of ours, the ‘I need a car to get to work’ excuse is, to be frank, even more difficult to justify. Not sure how we got onto the subject of Coketown. A useful distraction from “I want to park my car on the pavement outside my house and stuff everybody else”, probably.

A more sensible approach would be to prosecute obstructive parking.

So we take the police away from solving more serious crimes?

If people parked sensibly on pavements, l;eaving room for prams, pedestrians, wheelchairs, etc. then I'd be happy. But they don't, so it has to stop.

Also, if there is high unemployment in this mythical run down northern town of ours, the ‘I need a car to get to work’ excuse is, to be frank, even more difficult to justify. Not sure how we got onto the subject of Coketown. A useful distraction from “I want to park my car on the pavement outside my house and stuff everybody else”, probably

Yawn. Have you read the thread? I have no need to park on the pavement.

I am realistic about the chances and possibilities this amazing mythical transport system would bring to many northern towns.

On the subject of public transport, I recently visited Edinburgh and left my car at home. Why? Because the buses are frequent (every 5-10 mins) and cheap 1.70 per trip. At home in the SE, the nearest bus is 3/4 mile away, runs every hour and costs at least 3 times as much. That's why I drive everywhere.

No. There are plenty of situations where a ban would cause problems while pavement parking wouldn’t. A blanket ban would be irrational and overzealous. I would rather pavements were kept in good order, properly lit and properly shaded.

A veranda over every pavement for the two hot weeks we get each year? Or an umbrella over every pavement? Have I misunderstood?

Neither will be much use to you if you can’t walk along the pavement because of other people’s blessed cars being parked on it!

@Iamthewombat small towns are nothing like London (less people and less people/business/places to go per sqm). You would either have inadequate service (not enough routes/buses) or mostly empty buses. Have you never been outside of a large city before? It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.

@Iamthewombat trees - like they have in other countries. Better for the environment, prettier, better for mental health and it makes walking (all year round) more bareable. One of the reasons I dislike walking in Britain is the permanent direct sun exposure. I easily burn even in winter.

Great, let’s just give up on green transport everywhere except big cities, shall we? I’m always amazed at the number of people trying the ‘it will never work here because [insert reason why the poster, or the poster’s home area is special]’. Or, more truthfully, ‘you will never stop me doing whatever I want, whenever I want, irrespective of the impact on the climate or other people’

Face it: change needs to happen. We have heard from several posters on this thread for whom selfish car parking is causing real problems. The owners of the cars respond with ‘I NEED a car because...’, even if they don’t, and ‘it’s the government’s fault for not providing car infrastructure’. The problem is clearly too many cars. To say nothing of the effect on the planet. What’s your solution?

Iamthewombat

Or maybe we might - those of us who run businesses here - understand a little more about the economic and industrial climate.

Which northern town do you live in?

Face it: change needs to happen

For all the scepticism, autonomous cars will probably be the revolution (which is why I think a lot of other innovations are slowly being put on hold). Once you managed to crowbar people out of the idea of actually having to own a car (which I suspect will be accomplished with the tax-hammer) having a fleet of almost instantly available taxis will relieve the need (or "need") for parking in an incredibly short time.

Yes! It would stop people blocking me in my driveway

I live in a northern town, thanks. The chances of my announcing which on here are slim to negligible. By all means broadcast yours, though!

I live in a northern town, thanks. The chances of my announcing which on here are slim to negligible. By all means broadcast yours, though!

Yup. Just as I thought.....

Just as you thought? What’s upset you now?

That I haven’t given my full name, address and NI number?

That I might not have the right northern town credentials?

Or something else? I can’t wait to find out. What’s your beef?

Yes I loathe people who park on the pavement. I have a double buggy that is often too wide to get past meaning I have to wheel my twins along in the road.i also have a slightly older child who then has to either walk along in the road too or co tune on the pavement alone.

Just as you thought? What’s upset you now?

I’m not upset. It’s just your usual hot air on this subject with no substance.

I mean by all means set yourself up as the Northern Town spokesperson - they are, of course, all the same.