Oxfordshire pavement parking complaints as inquiry launched

A BAN on pavement parking could be considered to stop selfish drivers who put block pedestrians' pathway.

The Government has launched an inquiry into pavement parking, inviting people to share their experiences and suggest solutions as to how it should be tackled.

Its transport committee is calling for evidence to justify a potential 'reform of traffic regulation' - which could include a ban on people putting their wheels over the kerb.

Pavement parking is a persistent issue across Oxfordshire, with complaints about 'near misses' as pedestrians are forced into the road.

On Wednesday an anonymous resident posted photos of cars blocking the pavement next to Between Towns Road in Cowley.

Reporting the issue via the FixMyStreet website, the complaint said: "Vehicles are parking on the footpath next to the derelict Murco garage on a daily basis.

"[This is] causing an obstruction to the walking public, those with pushchairs and mobility scooters."

Is pavement parking a nightmare where you live? Send us your examples below and we'll look into it

ALSO READ: Oxford schools complain of parking 'chaos'

There is no national ban against either pavement parking, except in London and more widely for heavy commercial vehicles.

Elsewhere drivers are permitted to partially park on the pavement, as long as it is not in a 'dangerous position' or causing an obstruction.

Confusingly, it is an offence to drive onto the pavement, whether with intention to park or not.

This is a criminal offence enforced by the police, as opposed to the vast majority of civil parking offences policed by councils, and rarely enforced.

Last month a mother posted on the Bicester General Chat Facebook page reporting a 'near miss' after she was forced to dodge a parked car.

She said: "I had to walk on the road with my 10-month-old in her pram as both sides of the pavement were completely blocked by cars.

"The pram was centimetres away from being hit by a car which came round the corner, obviously not expecting me to be in the road."

To submit evidence to the inquiry by the deadline of May 14, visit parliament.uk

One Headington resident told the Oxford Mail she is 'fed up with inconsiderate parking' in East Field Close.

She shared this photo of a Mini completely blocking the width of the pavement at the weekend, right next to a give-way junction, and said it had been parked there for three days.

Oxford Mail:

One mother posted on the Kennington Connected! public Facebook page on Sunday, shaming a driver who had blocked the full width of the pavement in Bagley Close.

She wrote: "My five-year-old old boy's playtime was cut short due to inconsiderate parking for the whole afternoon by this red car.

"PAVEMENTS ARE FOR PEDESTRIANS NOT PARKING."

ALSO READ: School to shame parents with pictures if parking issue persists

Inconsiderate parking is a regular feature on the page, as with many other residents' groups in other villages and towns.

In response to a similar complaint last month, one villager wrote: "The way the cars were parked in a line this morning meant that you had a lady having to walk on the road with a buggy with poor visibility.

"I can’t help but feel it’s an accident simply waiting to happen and it’s so obvious and avoidable."

Another added: "I have a friend who is wheelchair bound and with her service dog cannot get into Oxford due to the parking on the pavements. This is very frustrating for her and restricts her social life."

In some streets, the designated parking bays are actually marked out to include part of the pavement, such as in Aston Street in East Oxford.

Oxford Mail:

Pic: Google Maps

These are exempt from the rules and Oxfordshire County Council guidance states: "To ensure pedestrians are not obstructed, vehicles parked even slightly farther onto the footway than shown by the bay markings may be issued with a penalty charge notice."

ALSO READ: Safety concerns as number of lollipop patrols plummet

Many schools have written to parents previously about parking concerns, and some are taking proactive measures.

According to the April newsletter from St Swithun's CE Primary School in Kennington, pupils on the school council have been working to improve parking in the vicinity of the site during drop-off and pick-up times.

The letter stated: "With the help of two of our police community support officers, the children have been out and about at the start and end of the school day, canvassing opinions. They did incredibly well!

"We have now got lots of information to analyse, which will be the next stage of the process."

Community answers

Bad parking Oxford - seen any recently?

"Send us your pics of people parking on pavements, blocking entrances or generally just making strange decisions. Don't forget to tell us where the pictures were taken!"

We asked for your responses - this is what you sent.