Overview
- Bracknell Forest councillor Guy Gillbe has written to the Police and Crime Commissioner urging Thames Valley Police to take urgent action and impose “real consequences” on drivers obstructing pavements.
- Outside areas covered by Traffic Regulation Orders, councils say they cannot enforce pavement-parking bans, while police hold obstruction powers that residents report are seldom used.
- Pavement parking is prohibited in London and Scotland, but elsewhere the Highway Code only advises that drivers should not park on pavements, creating uncertainty over enforcement.
- Parliamentary pressure has intensified, including a recent Westminster Hall debate and a Liberal Democrat early day motion calling for a national prohibition in England.
- Motoring expert Mike Thompson argues for clearer local powers targeting hotspots near schools, junctions and narrow streets, supported by better street design, signage and public education instead of a blanket ban.