Pavement parking ban back on the table as new ‘options’ being considered

Pavement parking bans could soon be introduced in the UK (Image: Getty)

A national pavement parking ban could soon be introduced across the country with Government officials admitting they were still "considering options" for new driving laws.

The Conservatives looked into pavement parking while in office but did not act upon a previous consultation into the issue. 

The report was published in November 2020 and suggested a series of proposals for ministers to look into. 

However, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh stressed her team was “committed” to responding to the consultation as soon as possible. 

Speaking to the Transport Committee, Louise Haigh explained: “I completely recognise how important it is for accessibility.

A national ban would be the biggest change to parking rules in decades (Image: Getty)

“We’re considering what options we have available, because we want to make sure that any measures are not burdensome on local authorities and are done in the most effective way. But I am really committed to responding to the consultation as quickly as possible.”

The consultation came up with three options to tackle pavement parking with each offering varying levels of enforcement. 

Option one would simply rely on improvements to the existing Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) system. 

This would place the power with local authorities and give them the freedom to devise how and where to issue parking bans based on traffic levels. 

The second option outlined in the consultation would be to extend council powers with local authorities able to “enforce unnecessary obstruction as a civil matter”.

Finally, option three considered the pros and cons of a national pavement parking ban across the country. 

The consultation found motorists would “establish a general rule against pavement parking” with certain exemptions in place where they were needed. 

However, the DfT warned that introducing a ban would be “the most significant change to English parking law in several decades”.

It added the scheme would require a “significant implementation period” while it would take time to identify areas which could be exempt. 

It also suggested a ban may be "inappropriate for rural areas” and could be “particularly difficult in environmentally sensitive areas” such as historic towns and villages.

A previous study from Startline Motor Finance showed the move could be supported by motorists. 

A massive 62% of road users said they backed the concept of banning pavement parking with 28% believing it was “lazy” to stop on the path.