Half of drivers want pavement parking banned

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Sat, 14 Dec 2024

Almost half of drivers now say that pavement parking should be banned, following a promise by Labour to review a 2020 Conservative consultation.

A survey by Venson Automotive has found that 46% of drivers agree that parking on the pavement should be outlawed.

This would follow the existing bans already in place in London and Edinburgh. Just 18% of drivers are against a ban. Many of them argue that there are already too few places for drivers to park.

However, they are very much in the minority, says Venson. 

"It is reassuring to see drivers are recognising that the safety of vulnerable pedestrians – including the elderly, people with disabilities, the visually impaired and those with pushchairs and young children – is paramount,” says Venson director Simon Station.

Venson says pavement parking can cause numerous barriers to footway users, including lack of space, degradation of surface quality, trip hazards and lack of safe places for crossing the road.

Station adds that the proposed pavement parking ban would not inconvenience delivery drivers and others who rely on it – because the government consultation paper allows a 20-minute exemption for delivery vehicles.

Options for a pavement parking ban currently being considered by the government include placing power in the hands of local authorities and extending council powers so authorities can ‘enforce unnecessary obstruction as a civil matter’.

A national parking ban across the country could even be implemented.  

There is an urgency to make a decision, adds Venson, with 95% of visually impaired people and 98% of wheelchair users saying they had a problem with vehicles parked on pavements in the previous year.

Ask HJ

Is it legal to park on the pavement?

If I park on a wide pavement with double yellow lines painted on the road an I technically parking on double yellow lines? My son parked his van on a wide pavement so wasn't blocking either the pavement or the road. A traffic warden told him he must have 2 wheels on the road. Im sure this would be illegal as it would mean he is parking on the road. This happened in Edinburgh. Would he still be libel for a parking ticket while parked on the pavement.

Parking on the pavement is already illegal in London and legislation for councils in Scotland is currently being examined. The law is currently somewhat grey in this area, as the Highway Code states you 'should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it.' If your son had put two wheels on the road then he could have been given a ticket because of the double yellow lines, but if he is wholly on the pavement it is less clear if he would be given a ticket or not. We recommend not parking on pavements as it's inconsiderate to pedestrians, especially wheelchair users and those with pushchairs. Pavements are for pedestrians, not cars.

Answered by David Ross

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