The Isle of Wight Council’s transport chief is calling for a crackdown on pavement parking, which could lead to traffic wardens having powers to issue penalty points to drivers.
Councillor Ian Ward, the cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, wants local obstruction enforcement powers to fine people who bump their vehicles up on the pavement.
Currently, the Department for Transport (DfT) is holding a consultation for ways in which to tackle pavement parking, with 1 final option seeing all pavement parking prohibited, like in Greater London. Although the DfT concedes many of the towns and cities in the country were not designed to accommodate high levels of traffic, which leads to pavement parking, it says there are inherent dangers for all pedestrians, with particular difficulties for those with sight or mobility difficulties and those with prams.
Local authorities do manage their own road networks to reduce congestion and disruption while also having specific powers for parking enforcement, rather than the police, such as setting restrictions to parking within specific areas by Traffic Regulation Orders and issuing penalty charge notices.
The offence of unnecessary obstruction of the highway, including in situations where obstructive parking on the pavement is deemed avoidable, is however dealt with under criminal law by the police, and local authorities are unable to enforce against them.
The consultation proposes 3 options to the pavement parking problem: rely on improvements to the traffic management system; allow local authorities to enforce against unnecessary pavement obstructions or to get rid of pavement parking altogether.
Discussing the issue at the neighbourhoods and regeneration policy and scrutiny committee, the Isle of Wight Council did not support getting rid of pavement parking but a mixture of improving the traffic order systems and enforcement powers.
Members of the committee agreed in some of the Island’s narrow roads, parking on the pavement meant the road was clear, but it would be a very difficult and contentious subject to address.
Cllr Ward has submitted a motion to full council to request the leader write to the appropriate government minister to request obstruction enforcement powers for the parking team ‘to deal with the situation locally, without having to rely on the police who have enough to do already’.
In his motion, Cllr Ward said:
“This council is concerned about the dangers of pavement parking causing problems for sight-impaired residents, disabled residents, pram and pushchair users and mobility scooter users as well as the general public and wants to address the situation on the Island.”
The change in power could mean parking enforcement officers, who give out tickets and fines, would be able to add penalty points to a driver’s licence where dangerous parking has taken place.
The motion will be voted on at the next full council meeting on Wednesday 18th November at 17:00.
Got to get that extra ‘Floating Bridge Repair Fund’ from somewhere! How about there own pockets for once and not constantly ours.
perhaps the councillor should crack down on his and other councillors wages and expenses.
Pavement parking In general is inconsiderate and selfish. Quite frequently it forces pedestrians to walk into the road to get around the vehicle in question. Whilst I appreciate there are SOME PLACES where it may be virtually impossible to park any other way due to the width of the highway, does it REALLY mean that there is no other option such as parking elsewhere?
an awful lot of people seem to believe that the piece of road outside their home is theirs exclusively and cannot be bothered to walk ANY distance as they see it as a major inconvenience.
IF the pavements were crowded as in the Capital, and that is ONLY because our Politicians have allowed in too many outsiders, then, it may be vindicated.
Yet when a car pulls onto a pavement to unload heavy items, to allow out an aged, or disabled person, or just to wait briefly without causing an obstruction then to fine them will add more mayhem to our over crowded and frustrated motorists journey.
Does this horrible council know that when they fill this Island with thousands more houses in Ryde, and then build over ONE THOUSAND more, each year, FEW with parking then life UNLESS like them, living in huge homes with sweep in sweep out drives, will become intolerable for those who pay their fat wages.
Vote this rabble out.
Just another way of forcing more working people’s cars off the road entirely, so we then have to rely on public transport with the growing amount of delightful people to share the pleasant and safe journey with now, and far, far worse soon when mainland overspill fills such areas soon to be built to house them.
Those in the council will be able to afford the best EV’s and as you say, have a huge garage and area to park their entire families and visitors cars. A small fine to them is nothing, as WE pay for their huge salary and expenses anyway.
They need removing, and fast.
One huge difference as to why the Capital has banned pavement parking is because of the bomb potential and those driving on pavement who deliberately kill and maim.
Thankfully as YET we have few risks of such happening here, least not until the overbuilding of Ryde is filled with mainland over spill.
Vote this, the worst council the Island has ever had, OUT
In this current pandemic I would have hoped the council had more important things to do like track and trace, enforcing the rules etc rather than trying to get more powers to penalise the motorist.
I suppose Mr Ward has been party with other councillors to creating 20 mins free parking on all entrances to St Mary’s junction, waiting for the lights to change, and weeks of free parking in the que for the floating bridge, so no need for pavement parking in those areas, but an opportunity missed for traffic wardens to issue tickets to queuing motorists..
Perhaps if before building new homes parking and road widths were made a major consideration then it would not be necessary to pavement park to leave the roads clear for other vehicles. If Car parks were free overnight then maybe people would have somewhere to park safely.
Yet no one thinks of the visually impaired, mobility impaired or people with buggies that have to walk in the road because of selfish thoughtless drivers that park on the pavement.
When I see the councillors having NO allocated parking in any of their places of work, and when I see them living in a house with no parking facilities then and only then will I listen to their decision making.
Easy to ban, fine, and make life really terrible for motorists, delivery drivers, ambulances, fire engines, on line food delivery drivers, and those causing NO issues by parking briefly.
Give us the stats on people who have been seriously hurt by a parked car, then equate that to the amount of frustrated drivers going on to have accidents IF delivery drivers and brief pavement parking is banned or fined for doing so.
It is not as though we have a string of blind, or disabled now streaming past our homes, and most pushing prams thanks to generous benefits drive and are one of the worst offenders for pavement parking, so DON’T use such people as ‘an excuse’ to stealth tax the public.
A part solution which would be a Win Win for all would be to get rid of verges, usually now unkempt and littered with dog doo, either fresh or bagged, tins, Mc D;s containers etc, and tarmac them for additional parking.
That way the council could cut the bill for cutting them, and those living nearby with limited parking could use such, after a brief stroll to park safely.
We must get these people removed at the next local election, for they only come up with fines and punishment for something which is partly their doing for overbuilding this Island.
Really?? speak to the people at the RNIB, tell them that parking on the pavement is not an issue. Only when it affects you and your family do you really realise that it is a major issue.
A-boards are another major issue.
Selfish selfish people on this thread thinking of themselves as always.
The pavements were designed for the public to walk on in safety not for cars to park on them. Unfortunately due to many household now having 2plus cars within the family there is not enough parking spaces on the roads outside their homes and unless they have a frontage of 4.8mtr they are also unable to apply for off road parking. On the other hand, where properties have installed off road parking it also means no one can park in front of the drive and a parking space on the highway is lost. I don’t profess to know what the answer is but trying to find a parking space on the highway is getting more difficult as times go by. There has been a number of parking wars on social media of late which has turned quite vitriolic. Something needs to be done but I do not think fines are the answer.
Some families have work vans and cars, hence parking where they like
Drop the charger on the sodding carparks and do away with some double yellow lines you gready bunch of hopless no good for nothing scrounges.
I see you put 10p on the carpark in newport
10p you cheap skates.
Get a job.
Im self employed worked for over 35 years never claimed a penny from any one.
Grow up.
Then in that case you can afford the extra 10p
And think about the workforce of the island that struggle to park yet counsil vehicles park were ever when ever they want.
As houses built in the Victorian days often had cellars, created with a pick and shovel with a horse to cart it away, surely it wouldn’t be too difficult now, with diggers, lorries, etc to insist that all new builds unless for good reason had an underground cellar car space made.
This is clearly the answer to help, not cure, some and future parking issues and to pave roadside verges would ease parking for many too, and save the council cash in not cutting such.
Fining people for parking is akin to fining them for bumping into one another in a busy shop, too many people and their ‘answer’ is to build even more houses and the Gov’s is to import ever more.
WE, not they in their huge grounds and allocated work parking, pay the price. Vote this trash out.
Oh look, another enforcement opportunity gleefully being pursued by the local authority bureaucrats, more power for them to sanctimoniously dish it out to the public whilst pretending they are doing it to ‘protect’ people – add this to the miles and miles of additional yellow ‘safety’ lines they have painted and you’d think we’d be living on the safest and most protected island in Europe, rather than a shabby, badly managed backwater that is being made a little bit worse every time a county hall pen-pusher unleashes another of their bright ideas to punish and fine the public.
Never realised how much Councillor ward looks like potato!
hopefully Leader cabs will get a ticket then always parking on the pavement outside their office on Coppins bridge
Too right they should – selfish drivers
Taxi drivers and blue badge holders! Park on pavements more than most .
Blue Badge does not allow you to park on double yellow lines. But quite a few think it allows them to park where they like. The blue badge only allows you to use a disabled parking bay.
WRONGAs a blue badge holder, where can I park? You can park:
and I get fed up of finding non blue badge holders parking in my disabled bay when I go out to shop.
AND BOB THE BUILDERS
Thank God someone is finally going to do something about THE IDIOTS who park on pavements
Making it difficult for Pedestrians and Mobility Scooters getting along Pavements, also making it unsafe for other vehicles getting along safely.
THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE TOWED AWAY AND THE OWNERS FINED AND GIVEN POINTS.
One day someone will get killed due to THE IDIOTS PARKING ON PAVEMENTS, them they would be liable and should get years in prison.
BAN PAVEMENT PARKING IMMEDIATELY.
Well done Ian, sense at last.
PAVEMENT PARKING SHOULD BE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES ONLY.
ANY OTHER VEHICLE PARKED ON A PAVEMENT SHOULD BE TOWED AWAY.
TOO MANY IDIOTS EVEN PARK THEIR VEHICLES ON PAVEMENTS TO WASH THEIR VEHICLES.
ALSO ANOTHER GOOD IDEA FAR TOO MANY COMPANY VANS ARE PARKED ALONG ROADS, THEY SHOULD BE PARKED AT THEIR COMPANY DEPOTS.
E.G. OPEN REACH VANS ETC
IT IS ANNOYING WHEN ARRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND YOU ARE UNABLE TO PARK YOUR OWN VEHICLE DUE TO THIS.
Depends how you park on the pavement. If you leave plenty of room for a wheel chair to pass without having to go round your car on the road side, what is the problem?