Classic car owners without access to off-street parking could be affected by a new public consultation on a pavement parking ban in England. The current pavement parking law already bans the practice in London but only prohibits lorries elsewhere in the country.
Three options have been proposed by the Department for Transport. The first is to improve the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process, making it easier for councils to put a pavement parking ban in place in their areas, while the second is a legislative change allowing councils to issue fines to drivers who park on paths. The third option is an outright, national ban.
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’s vital that we make the nation’s pavements accessible for everyone.”
However, the AA warned an outright ban on pavement parking could cause a series of “unintended consequences.” Its head of roads policy, Jack Cousens, said: “As we have seen over the past few weeks with road closures and narrowed roads, councils have acted with little consultation and in many cases lost confidence of the communities they serve.
“Local authorities should make a street-by-street assessment and, where pavement parking is allowed, markings should show how much pavement can be used. While councils have always had the powers to tackle problem parking, it would be typical if the only time they act is when there’s fines income to be had from it.”
The consultation period will run until November 22.
