A blind woman from Norwich says pavement parking means there are places she "just can't go"
The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for pavement parking to be banned in England
A blind woman from Norwich tells us there are some places she "just can't go" because of vehicles parking on the pavement.
Stories like this are one of the reasons the Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for this to be banned in England, after Scotland outlawed it last month.
It would mean that those who are blind, wheelchair users, older people and parents with pushchairs aren't put at risk when navigating around them.
The investigation from the LGA has 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."
"There are times where I've just turned round and gone back home because it's not safe"
Rachael Andrews is vice chair of local charity 'Inclusive Norwich': "It impacts on my safety, convenience and time-management.
"You don't always know where they're going to be or what they're going to be.
"There have been certain times where I've just not been confident that we're going to be able to get around safely, especially if it's a main road for example.
"There have even been times where I've just turned round and gone back home because it's not safe.
"My and my guide-dog can't just squeeze through little gaps, in case we hurt ourselves on something. We sometimes just have to go into the road and hope we don't get hit.
"There are some places where we just can't go. We have to change our routes to keep us safe.
"There are some situations where vans park in our normal, quickest route which means we have to go a long way out of the way to get to where we want to go.
"The infrastructure needs to change"
"We meet vehicles parked on the pavement every time we go out. Electric cars are even more dangerous because you can't hear them coming. The inability to see or hear them makes it all twice as hard.
"The infrastructure needs to change so that we have better parking in residential areas, so people aren't forced to park on the pavement. There are some roads that are very narrow and many homes don't have driveways now."
What else has this research found?
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.
"Forced into the road"
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."
What's happened elsewhere in the UK?
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.
What's the Government said on this?
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.”