Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart is calling for a targeted and local approach to combat pavement parking after a department for transport consultation looking for solutions to the issue ended.

The preferred option from the charity is a legislative change to allow local authorities with civil parking enforcement powers to enforce against the ‘unnecessary obstruction of the pavement’, which the IAM RoadSmart suggests should be defined as less than the width of a standard wheel chair or child’s buggy.

The two other options were a complete blanket ban on pavement parking in England, such as already exists in London and is due in Scotland in 2021, or improvements to the existing Traffic Regulation Order through traffic signs or road markings.

Neil Greig, Policy and Research Director at IAM RoadSmart, said: “A focused and local approach would allow selfish individuals and problem areas to be targeted without causing displacement problems in areas where there are no actual problems for pedestrians.

“Local councils should be encouraged to use their existing powers and these new ones to sign, define, review and enforce local bans as required.

“We have no problem with local solutions for local problems, but a blanket ban of pavement parking is a ‘hammer to crack a nut’.”

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