Pros and cons of £70 fine for pavementparking

In Blackpool the proposals from the Department of Transport have had a mixed reaction.

It has been illegal to park on the pavement in London since 1974, but not elsewhere in the country.

That could soon change, however, as the government looks at new measures to prevent motorists blocking the way for pedestrians.

Terry Godbert, chairman of the Blackpool and Fylde Advanced Motoring group (BAFAM) said the fine would be welcome.

He said: “They shouldn’t park on pavements and as far as I’m concerned the fine could be as high as it gets.

“It’s particularly a problem when people park half a car on the pavement and force pedestrians to walk on the road, which is even more dangerous.

“It’s dangerous for mums pushing prams, for elderly people who struggle to walk or, even worse, for blind who rightly expect the pavements to be for pedestrians.

“It is about time this came in, I welcome it.”

But Dave Blacker, chairman of the Talbot ward PACT group, could see two sides of the issue and suggested a common sense approach.

He said: “Where people are causing an obstruction needlessly, I think it is probably right.

“But there are a lot of narrow roads in Blackpool where people are almost forced to park on the pavements because if they follow the letter of the law, they will block the road and may obstruct emergency vehicles.”

Outside London, people are able to partially park their vehicles on the pavement as long as it does not cause an obstruction.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com said: “The introduction of yet more parking fines will undoubtedly see some resentment from drivers as they could face a £70 charge for pavement parking.

“Whilst drivers in London are up to speed with refraining from leaving a wheel or two on the curb, this ban will have a huge impact on drivers across the rest of the country.

“It’s incredibly important that the street-sides are clear to prevent any obstacles for pedestrians, but councils must recognise that parking is already a struggle for most drivers due to the lack of available spaces and existing restrictions.”