Charity Guide Dogs is calling for pavement parking to be banned across the UK as one woman with sight-loss claimed she has been “forced into traffic” by the act.
London and Scotland are the only parts of the UK where pavement parking is banned.
In 2020, the Conservative government consulted on proposals to give councils in the rest of England the power to prohibit pavement parking, but no policy change happened.
The Labour Government said it has “commissioned new research” and will “update as soon as possible”.
A YouGov survey of 615 UK councillors, conducted for Guide Dogs in August, indicated 74 per cent of those in areas without a clear law supported the call to introduce new powers.
More than eight out of 10 (84 per cent) respondents said pavement parking creates safety risks for pedestrians, while 51 per cent think current methods of tackling the issue are impractical.
English councils outside London must consult on and implement separate Traffic Regulation Orders to ban pavement parking on specific roads, which can be a costly and time-consuming process.
A woman with sight-loss named Helen, who did not give her surname, said pavement parking is a “daily danger to blind people” and she has been “forced into traffic” and suffered a broken wrist after falling while getting around a car on the pavement.
She described how her recent move from Northumberland to Scotland has been transformational.
She said: “In Scotland, pavements belong to people again, not vehicles. It’s given me freedom, independence and confidence.
“Scotland has shown that it works. Now the rest of the UK must follow.”
Eleanor Briggs, head of policy, public affairs and campaigns at Guide Dogs, said: “Local leaders are clear: pavement parking is unsafe, the current system just isn’t working across most of the country, and a clear law is needed to make sure everyone – particularly people with sight loss – can travel down their streets safely.”
Some 42 per cent of drivers who participated in a recent RAC survey supported an outright ban on pavement parking across England, while 41 per cent wanted councils to be given tougher powers to easily prohibit the practice on specific roads.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Our priority is to make it as easy and accessible as possible for everyone to get around, and we recognise the problems pavement parking can cause for people across the country.
“That’s why we have commissioned new research to better understand the impact of pavement parking and ensure the solutions we take forward work in practice.
“The Government will continue to review the issue nationwide and will update as soon as possible.”
