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Parking on sidewalks could be banned across England under government plans to make travel easier for disabled people and parents pushing strollers.
The practice is banned in London, but in other parts of the country it is only banned for trucks.
The Department of Transport (DfT) is consulting on three options regarding sidewalk parking: extending the London-style ban across the country, making it easier for city councils to ban curb parking, and giving city councils the power to fine offenders.
Recent research by the charity Guide Dogs indicated that 32% of visually impaired people and 48% of wheelchair users have less desire to go out on their own due to antisocial curbside parking.
Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Parking on the sidewalks means that wheelchair users, the visually impaired and parents with strollers may be forced onto the road, which is not only dangerous but which discourages people from traveling.
“A key part of our post-Covid ecological recovery will be encouraging more people to choose active travel, such as walking, so it is vital that we make the nation’s sidewalks accessible to all. Parking on the sidewalk presents a clear safety risk when parked cars occupy the sidewalk and force vulnerable pedestrians to move onto the road. “
The DfT affirmed that any measure must “guarantee the free movement of traffic and access for emergency services.”
A report by the Commons transportation select committee last September called for a total nationwide ban on the “plague” of sidewalk parking.
Witnesses told MPs that the worst cases of curb parking effectively trapped disabled, elderly and vulnerable people, making them “afraid to leave their homes.”
Stephen Edwards, director of policy and communications for Living Streets, a walking charity, said: “Disabled and elderly people contact us regularly that they feel trapped in their homes because there is not enough space on the pavement for wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
“This has affected more people during the pandemic, with blocked sidewalks affecting everyone’s ability to physically distance themselves.”
Justine Roberts, founder and CEO of Mumsnet, said: “Many of us have occasionally parked a pair of wheels on the pavement to make room on the road without really thinking about how it might make people uncomfortable.
“It’s a topic that comes up regularly on Mumsnet, where wheelchair users and people with buggies share stories about being forced onto the road or having to backtrack long distances.”
However, AA warned that a ban would have “unintended consequences.” Its head of road policy, Jack Cousens, said: “As we have seen in recent weeks with road closures and narrow roads, city councils have acted with little consultation and in many cases have lost trust in the communities they serve. .
“Local authorities should do a street-by-street assessment and where sidewalk parking is allowed, the markings should show how much pavement can be used.
“While city councils have always had the power to address parking issues, it would be typical if the only time they act is when they earn ticket revenue.”
