Politicians and volunteers have spoken out against bad parking in Oxford with a charity for visually impaired people branding the phenomenon a "huge problem" and "not fair".
Independent councillor Damian Haywood took to X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this month to express his disapproval at a car parked across a dropped kerb.
Oxfordshire County Council says parking on the pavement is "not something we can enforce" as government regulations have not made it illegal in Oxford.
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Thames Valley Police is responsible for "obstructive" or "dangerous" parking enforcement and says it "asks the public to be mindful of where they are parking so as not to obstruct pathways and areas that are used by the public".
Mr Haywood said: "Badly parked cars are a real problem in Oxford, especially for families like ours who require dropped kerbs.
"Dropped kerbs are often blocked, meaning people with additional needs struggle. The problem is so endemic that parking contractors cannot keep up.
"There is also the added confusion about who is responsible to enforce, the council or the police.
"The system needs to be made easier, such as photographic evidence being acceptable to the authorities to issue fines.
"The problem would diminish if this was enacted."
Chief executive of the MyVision Oxfordshire charity, Mark Upton, which supports the "24,000 people in Oxfordshire living with a visual impairment", added: "Pavement parking is a huge problem for blind and visually impaired people.
"For example, if the vehicle is completely blocking the road you have got to go out into the road and work out if it is safe to actually go round.
"It can cause quite a lot of anxiety among people.
"Ironically it is illegal to drive on pavements but not illegal to park on them in Oxford.
"Particularly in east Oxford there are lot of issues with pavement parking and very narrow pavements."
Mr Upton also mentioned e-scooters being parked in "really silly places" was a big issue.
Labour city councillor Louise Upton, who is not related to Mr Upton, said: "Obviously inconsiderate parking is a real pain for a lot of people.
"Particularly if you are trying to push a buggy or a wheelchair it can be a nightmare."
Thames Valley Police says "if a member of the public is parking illegally and causing an obstruction, there is a risk that their vehicle could be removed if it is reported to the police".
A spokesman added: "The owner of that vehicle would then be liable to the recovery costs and potential fines.
"Parking on private property would be a matter for the landowner."
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “Accessibility is a priority, and we recognise the problems pavement parking can cause for people, especially those with mobility or sight impairments.
“We will be reviewing the options and will update in due course.”
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About the author
Noor is the Local Democracy Reporter for Oxfordshire who covers political stories from across the county.
She began working as a journalist in Oxford in September 2023 having graduated from the University of Oxford.
Noor was trained at the News Associates journalism school and can be found on X through the handle @NoorJQurashi
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