On 09/02/2024 07:39 pm, Simon Mason wrote:

> DRIVERS who leave their cars across dropped kerbs in a Gwent borough have been warned a clampdown on illegal parking is due to start.
>
> Action on the issue, that can cause difficulties for parents with prams and even block wheelchair users or those in mobility scooters from moving around freely, was promised in January.
>
> Now Mark Thomas, Torfaen council’s highways deputy, has said the borough’s civil enforcement team of parking wardens is “back up to relatively full strength they will be tasked with targeting dropped kerbs as they are patrolling to ensure they are protected.”
>
> The officer said a ticket can be placed on vehicles blocking a dropped kerb and there is no need for a traffic order, or sign, marking the kerb such as there is on restricted parking spaces.
>
> Cwmbran St Dial’s independent councillor Elizabeth Haynes welcomed the announcement during the council’s cleaner communities scrutiny committee and said: “Hallelujah to the comment about enforcing the parking on dropped kerbs.”
>
> Panteg Labour member Norma Parish asked what the council was doing to deal with issues such as parking on dropped kerbs as part of its efforts to promote walking and cycling.
>
> Road safety officer Pat Barnes said the Welsh Government has delayed its legislation which will allow councils to take enforcement action against drivers who park on pavements in recognition of the amount of work required to introduce the 20 mile per hour speed limit in buit up areas this year.
>
> But he said it isn’t only drivers who cause obstructions for pedestrians, especially those with disabilities.
>
> He said: “It’s not just limited to pavement parking a lot of properties have hedges that are massively overgrown, there’s a lot of excess green foliage owned by private individuals that is as much of challenge as pavement parking. Our focus on pavement blockages and obstructions should not just be limited to vehicles.”
>
> He said every walking and cycling route the council develops is step free, or there may be steps “complimentary” to ramps.
>
> Mr Barnes said cash from the council’s budget for walking and cycling routes is also ring fenced to put in more dropped kerbs but said: “It’s a drop in the ocean”.
>
> Active travel officer Donna Edwards has also marked every dropped kerb on the county’s mapping system, so people are aware of accessible routes, and Mr Barnes said the department is “always looking” for additional funding to create more access points.
>
> Ms Edwards, in reply to a question from Cllr Haynes, said she has accompanied groups for the visually impaired and disabled on walks to assess routes.

Getting worse... May Sun NOW "thinks" that the Welsh county of Gwent is
in Northern Ireland.

MOTORISTS will be hit with fines of up to £150 if caught flouting a new ban on pavement parking in Scotland, it emerged last night.

Councils will be handed powers - possibly from later this year - to impose penalty charge notices as punishment for drivers whose vehicles block pavements.

The law will also ban parking beside dropped kerbs used for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and double parking.

Under the move, those hit with a fine will have 28 days to pay. If they do so within 14 days, they will only need to pay £50.

The charge will be increased to £100 if it is paid between the 15th and 28th days after the notice was issued.

If the fine remains unpaid after that point, then councils will be able to issue a notice to the vehicle owner with a reminder to do so.

And if they still do not pay 14 days after being issued with a reminder, the fine will be increased again to £150.

The details emerged in an ongoing consultation on the powers being given to councils to impose charges. Local authorities have also been surveying roads to identify any that could be exempted.

The Scottish Government has said that the new powers will give local authorities the “tools they need to be able to tackle the issues of inconsiderate and obstructive parking”.

Richard Gladman, from road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said the organisation would support any measures to help prevent inconsiderate or obstructive parking as long as the legislation is “proportional and used to good effect”.

He added: “The increasing of financial penalties is not always the best deterrent, but together with a sensible enforcement strategy it can work in some circumstances. A policy of enforcement supported with affordable safe parking will help keep all road users safe.”

Scottish Tory transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: “We repeatedly warned the SNP that this legislation was poorly thought out, despite being well-intentioned.

“The blanket ban on pavement parking will catch out a lot of people who will unwittingly be hit with potentially huge fines during a cost-of-living crisis.”

The pavement parking ban was approved by the Scottish Parliament back in 2019 as part of the Transport (Scotland) Act.

It had been due to be introduced in 2020, but the plans were pushed back due to the Covid pandemic and final decisions being made over the regulations..

Charities at the time welcomed the legislation, with Living Streets Scotland suggesting it would give “new freedom” to people in wheelchairs, parents with pushchairs and older people.

Before the law passed in 2019, the Scottish Government said the new “enforcement and penalty system has the potential to generate revenue”. It said it was ”not possible to precisely identify cost implications” for councils, but said Edinburgh council had said signage costs alone - to say which streets are exempt - could be up to £150,000.

On 09/02/2024 08:58 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
>
> MOTORISTS will be hit with fines of up to £150 if caught flouting a new ban on pavement parking in Scotland, it emerged last night.

Scotland is NOT part of Northern Ireland.

More than 200 drivers have been fined for violating new parking rules in Edinburgh a week after they came into force.

The city became Scotland's first to enforce bans for parking on pavements, on dropped kerbs or double parking from 29 January.

Motorists face a £100 charge if they are caught, reduced to £50 if paid within two weeks.

Figures showed 218 fixed penalty notices were handed out in the week to 6 February.

The Scottish government passed a law giving local councils the power to outlaw pavement parking in 2021.

However, it only received Scottish Parliament approval in December.

City of Edinburgh Council confirmed it would be the first to enforce the ban after receiving majority support from a survey.

The local authority said 179 drivers had been fined for blocking pedestrian footways with their vehicles in the first week.

A further 28 were penalised for doubled parking, while 11 were charged for parking at a dropped kerb.

No additional parking staff have been being recruited to enforce the rules.

Instead, current parking attendants are patrolling problem areas.

The rules are designed to protect pedestrians, including those in wheelchairs and pushing buggies.

On 10/02/2024 08:53 am, Simon Mason wrote:

> More than 200 drivers have been fined for violating new parking rules in Edinburgh a week after they came into force.
>
> The city became Scotland's first to enforce bans for parking on pavements, on dropped kerbs or double parking from 29 January.
>
> Motorists face a £100 charge if they are caught, reduced to £50 if paid within two weeks.
>
> Figures showed 218 fixed penalty notices were handed out in the week to 6 February.
>
> The Scottish government passed a law giving local councils the power to outlaw pavement parking in 2021.
>
> However, it only received Scottish Parliament approval in December.
>
> City of Edinburgh Council confirmed it would be the first to enforce the ban after receiving majority support from a survey.
>
> The local authority said 179 drivers had been fined for blocking pedestrian footways with their vehicles in the first week.
>
> A further 28 were penalised for doubled parking, while 11 were charged for parking at a dropped kerb.
>
> No additional parking staff have been being recruited to enforce the rules.
>
> Instead, current parking attendants are patrolling problem areas.
>
> The rules are designed to protect pedestrians, including those in wheelchairs and pushing buggies.

The idiot still "thinks" that Edinburgh is in Northern Ireland.

Powers to ban pavement parking should be extended across England to make streets safer, according to a report published by councils.

Wheelchair users, older people and parents with pushchairs are among those put at risk by having to navigate around vehicles mounted on kerbs, a study commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) warned.

The investigation found some vehicles cause “a complete obstruction to someone walking or wheeling”, meaning they have “no option but to enter the carriageway to continue their journey”.

Pavement parking can also damage the surface, creating trip hazards and leading to costly repairs, the report by active travel charity Sustrans and disability rights organisation Transport for All added.

The study recommended that pavement parking be banned across England, and urged the government to “recommit to the principle that the function of the footway is to provide space for walking and wheeling”.

A Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on giving councils in the rest of the country the power to prohibit pavement parking ended in November 2020, but no announcement has been made.

The LGA said a change in the rules is “long overdue” and would help councils protect older and vulnerable people from injury, as well as support national targets to increase levels of walking and cycling.

LGA transport spokesman Darren Rodwell said: “Pavement parking is one of the biggest complaints from pedestrians but, three years on, councils outside of London still do not have the powers they need to tackle this scourge.

“Vulnerable and disabled people, including wheelchair users as well as parents with pushchairs, are forced into the road due to some drivers’ inconsiderate parking, presenting a real hazard and potential danger to life.

“Repairing kerbs and pavements damaged by pavement parking is also expensive and this funding could be better used to resurface our roads and pavements, support local buses and provide more suitable parking.

“If we are to meet the government’s ambition for half of all trips in England’s towns and cities to be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030, then it makes sense to give councils across the country the same powers as in the capital, making our streets safer and footpaths open for everyone.”

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Pavement parking is at best inconvenient and at worst hazardous for pedestrians and those in wheelchairs but in England, there’s still a massive question about if and when controls will ever be introduced.

“Rather than an outright ban, we think it would be more effective if local authorities were given enforcement powers to prevent unnecessary pavement obstructions.

“This prevents the need for them having to survey all their roads to work out where exemptions need to be made.”

City of Edinburgh Council became the first in Scotland to enforce a nationwide ban on pavement parking on 29 January.

Glasgow City Council said it will begin enforcement “in the near future”.

The Welsh government is due to launch a consultation on restricting pavement parking this year.

A DfT spokesperson said: “Everyone should be able to navigate their streets without obstacles, and while local authorities already have powers to prohibit pavement parking through local regulation, we have consulted on further helping them take action.

“The response to this will be published in due course.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pavement-parking-ban-government-fine-b2493966.html

Powers to ban pavement parking should be extended across England to make streets safer, according to a report published by councils. Wheelchair users, older people and parents with pushchairs are among those put at risk by having to navigate around vehicles mounted on kerbs, a study commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) warned.

The investigation found some vehicles cause "a complete obstruction to someone walking or wheeling", meaning they have "no option but to enter the carriageway to continue their journey". Pavement parking can also damage the surface, creating trip hazards and leading to costly repairs, the report by active travel charity Sustrans and disability rights organisation Transport for All added.

The study recommended that pavement parking is banned across England, and urged the Government to "recommit to the principle that the function of the footway is to provide space for walking and wheeling". London is the only area in England where pavement parking is banned.

A Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on giving councils in the rest of the country the power to prohibit pavement parking ended in November 2020, but no announcement has been made.The LGA said a change in the rules is "long overdue" and would help councils protect older and vulnerable people from injury, as well as support national targets to increase levels of walking and cycling.

LGA transport spokesman Darren Rodwell said: "Pavement parking is one of the biggest complaints from pedestrians, but three years on, councils outside of London still do not have the powers they need to tackle this scourge. Vulnerable and disabled people including wheelchair users, as well as parents with pushchairs, are forced into the road due to some drivers' inconsiderate parking, presenting a real hazard and potential danger to life."

"Repairing kerbs and pavements damaged by pavement parking is also expensive and this funding could be better used to resurface our roads and pavements, support local buses and provide more suitable parking. If we are to meet the Government's ambition for half of all trips in England's towns and cities to be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030, then it makes sense to give councils across the country the same powers as in the capital, making our streets safer and footpaths open for everyone."

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "Pavement parking is at best inconvenient and at worst hazardous for pedestrians and those in wheelchairs, but in England there's still a massive question about if and when controls will ever be introduced. Rather than an outright ban, we think it would be more effective if local authorities were given enforcement powers to prevent unnecessary pavement obstructions."

"This prevents the need for them having to survey all their roads to work out where exemptions need to be made." City of Edinburgh Council became the first in Scotland to enforce a nationwide ban on pavement parking on January 29.

Glasgow City Council said it will begin enforcement "in the near future". The Welsh Government is due to launch a consultation on restricting pavement parking this year.

A DfT spokesperson said: "Everyone should be able to navigate their streets without obstacles, and while local authorities already have powers to prohibit pavement parking through local regulation, we have consulted on further helping them take action. The response to this will be published in due course."

https://www.devonlive.com/news/uk-world-news/pavement-parking-ban-should-extended-9091380