Tougher pavement parking rules could soon be introduced in one of the UK’s major city centres as part of a transport overhaul to “control vehicular traffic”.
Birmingham City Council has warned new “parking controls” will be implemented in a bid to “discourage and prevent” drivers from stopping on the pavement.
A new consultation has opened asking locals to give their say on a new Birmingham Road Harm Reduction Strategy.
As part of the proposals, widespread changes are set to be made to parking accessibility across the UK’s second-largest city.
Meanwhile, the scheme also looks at reallocating road space and the possibility of completely removing cars from city centre locations.
The document reads: “The provision of parking and loading will be tolerated on Arterial Routes, but only as long as this does not interfere with the primary strategic purpose of these routes, namely the mass movement of people and goods.
“Parking on footways, cycle lanes and bus lanes (during their hours of operation) will not be tolerated, as the impact on road safety and service reliability is often considerable.
“Whilst residential parking will continue to be permitted where possible and appropriate, highway space currently allocated for parking will be gradually reallocated to more productive uses.
“In areas of high demand, parking controls will be implemented to define where parking will be accommodated to ensure equitable allocation of this valuable resource, and to actively discourage and prevent pavement parking.”
Pavement parking is only banned in London although the Department for Transport has weighed up a mass-UK-wide adoption.
Other local authorities do have some say and are allowed to ban on-pavement parking in a specific area or zone.
But, only police officers have the authority to take action against vehicles obstructing the road and pavement.
The news could come as a shock to locals with many unaware of the potential changes. Last year, a new poll from Big Motoring World revealed that a staggering 58 percent of Brummies did not think there were plans to introduce a pavement parking ban.
The report raises health and safety concerns with some pedestrians being forced to walk into the road to avoid cars blocking the path.
Birmingham City Council claims this shows why it is vital to “control and reduce traffic and parking” in the region.
The document reads: “Another interesting trend is that areas where demand to park (cars) exceeds available kerbside space are a focus for increased numbers of ‘slight’ RTCs.
“Further analysis is required to clarify this phenomenon, but it is very likely that illegal and inappropriate parking (such as on junctions and across pavements) may be forcing people to use the carriageway as pavements and crossings are blocked, significantly increasing their risk of road harm.
“Collectively, this evidence suggests that targeted investment to control and reduce vehicular traffic and parking– especially on residential streets – will be essential if we are to deliver Vision Zero in Birmingham, as set out in the Birmingham Transport Plan.”
