The most simple ideas are often the best. Faced with routine pavement parking, Wandsworth council is using strategically placed cycle stands to stop lawbreaking drivers in their tracks.
And now the London borough’s innovative approach to street design is now inspiring local groups around the country.
For example, Mill Road 4 People comprises around 1,000 residents and traders who want their street to be attractive, safe and successful. And to tackle the illegal pavement parking that blights the area, the group is petitioning the local council to install cycle racks as a line of defence.
Pavement parking: Anti-social and dangerous
Over 40 people on pavements and verges in the UK are killed every year by drivers. And while most of those deaths are caused by speeding drivers who have lost control of their vehicle, pavement parking can be fatal. Vulnerable pedestrians are most at risk, including people who use mobility aids, wheelchairs and mobility scooters. For example, a driver pulling onto a pavement to park killed four-year-old Esme Weir in front of her mother.
More recently, one of our mobility insurance customers gave us an account of how he was crashed into by a driver on the pavement: “I’m not sure whether or not I lost consciousness, but am now experiencing bouts of dizziness. The driver announced she hadn’t seen me and was late for a birthday lunch and would have to go. I have a badly bruised left hip and having to use a walking stick.”
Pavement parking a widespread problem for over 80% of local authorities
Pavement parking has a significant financial impact on local authorities. One council estimates that up to 20% of its pavement annual repair budget of £500,000 is pavement parking-related damage.
Meanwhile, the motoring lobby seems happy with the status quo. The AA has described a nationwide ban on pavement parking as ‘a step too far’ and a recipe for parking chaos. We disagree. A nationwide ban would signal an important message: Pavements are for people.
The ethical choice
The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.
The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.
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