this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2024
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115
Councils call for pavement parking to be banned across England (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 9 months ago by thehatfox@lemmy.world to c/unitedkingdom
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[–] Oneeightnine 42 points 9 months ago (12 children)

Sounds great in principle, but where are me and the other 60 houses down our terraced street with no off-street parking supposed to park our cars?

Yes, I'd love to live in the public transport utopia that's just over the horizon, but right now, I need a car to get to and from work and I live in a house that was literally built before cars were a thing.

Again, I can only speak to our street but the vast majority of car owners make sure there's ample room to get through. The issue is that there's usually one or two assholes who ruin it for everyone, and those guys usually find out pretty quickly why it's a bad idea to block the path.

For context: I drive, but I've also had two kids and therefore two pushchairs I've had to navigate along the pavement. My car also got totalled a few years ago by a delivery driver who drove into it whilst it was parked. Id rather it not be parked on the road/pavement but what choice do we have here?

[–] soggy_kitty@sopuli.xyz 6 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Found the guy from Manchester

[–] echodot 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Basically any city or town or village that was built before the invention of the car, and in the UK that's basically everywhere. The house I live in was built before plumbing. God damn the road is narrow.

If we didn't park on the curb no one would be able to get past. The other day an ambulance came up here, and it was a squeeze but it was fine so I don't think it's actually a problem.

[–] EnderMB@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Basically true for Bristol too. Barely any rail network (despite having two main stations), a terrible bus system under a monopoly, and often no choice but to drive if you want to keep your job.

We've also got some very tight roads, and terraced housing that isn't really fit for purpose any more, especially outside of the main city.

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[–] cashews_best_nut@lemmy.world 30 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I think it already is. It just doesn't get enforced.

[–] Zip2 16 points 9 months ago (3 children)

I think it is illegal to completely obstruct a pavement to the point that wheelchairs, pushchairs etc can’t get past.

But parking your car and leaving a bit of a gap is apparently fine.

[–] AnyOldName3@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago (2 children)

When I had driving lessons, it was taught that most people think that's the rule, and in real life it practically is the rule, but it's on the books as illegal to put your car on the pavement at all, and you'll be penalised for it during the parking parts of a driving test.

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I think the specific offence is driving on the pavement, which parking obviously requires, but I could be wrong.

[–] AnyOldName3@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

From the highway code:

244

You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.

Law GL(GP)A sect 15

Signs explicitly permitting it are rare.

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Many of the rules in the Code are legal requirements, and if you disobey these rules you are committing a criminal offence. You may be fined, given penalty points on your licence or be disqualified from driving. In the most serious cases you may be sent to prison. Such rules are identified by the use of the words ‘MUST/MUST NOT’. In addition, the rule includes an abbreviated reference to the legislation which creates the offence. See an explanation of the abbreviations.

Although failure to comply with the other rules of the Code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, The Highway Code may be used in evidence in any court proceedings under the Traffic Acts (see The road user and the law) to establish liability. This includes rules which use advisory wording such as ‘should/should not’ or ‘do/do not’.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/introduction

[–] Zip2 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I know you’re not allowed to put an HGV on the pavement, but I thought everything else was ok.

[–] AnyOldName3@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

From the highway code:

244

You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.

Law GL(GP)A sect 15

Signs explicitly permitting it are rare.

[–] theplanlessman@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

Law GL(GP)A is the Greater London (General Powers) Act, it has no bearing on what happens outside of London. "Should" instructions in the Highway Code are guidance for best practice and are not enforceable in and of themselves.

[–] alibloke 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Except in London boroughs

[–] Palerider 6 points 9 months ago

Because rich cunts see the fine as the parking fee...

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[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

We have the same issue in Germany. :( Car drivers just get away with absolutely everything unfortunately.

[–] echodot 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

It's not the rule.

So what happens is this, someone says you're allowed to park on the pavement as long as you don't obstruct the road, then someone else says no and quotes the highway code. Then you point out that the only thing you're not allowed to do is park on the payment in London, and elsewhere you should basically not do it if you can avoid it.

No one is going to get arrested for parking partially on the pavement outside of London unless you've been a complete dick about it, or if it's unnecessary. For where it's necessary as long as there's no other parking restrictions then you should be fine as long as pedestrians can get past.

The highway code is fine in principle, but the people who wrote it have never been further north than Bedford.

[–] freamon@endlesstalk.org 5 points 9 months ago

Part of the problem is how much wider on average cars have got, making it less viable to park next to the curb or with just 2 wheels on it. Another part is that both members of a couple are more likely to be working and needing separate cars, and if their kids can't afford to move away, than that's an extra car too. Additionally, councils have convinced themselves that not lowering carbs to allow for extra driveways is promoting public transport use, ignoring how unviable that often is.

Cars with all 4 wheels on the pavement annoy me, but it's become so normalised that drivers have looked at me, like me walking on the pavement is an irritating obstruction to where they have every right to be. I think the police in some areas allow you to upload a photo to report them, but it's not something I'd do 'cos it's a complex problem and fines aren't the solution.