Update to England driving law plan which would | Tech News

A change to the driving legal guidelines of Britain may see all vehicles banned – below risk of immediate fines – from parking on pavements. A personal members invoice tabled by Marsha De Cordova had been due to have its second studying within the Commons on Friday, July 11.

At the primary studying the MP defined that it would give native authorities energy to implement in opposition to anti-social and unsafe pavement parking, and related powers to implement in opposition to obstructive parking of rental micromobility units, together with e-scooters and e-bikes.

She mentioned: “Across much of the country, cars blocking pavements are one of the most common problems faced by pedestrians. Pavement parking can be especially dangerous for wheelchair users and those using other mobility devices, people with pushchairs and young children, and people with sight loss, like me, who can be forced into the road with traffic that they cannot see.

“According to research conducted by the charity Guide Dogs, four out of five blind or partially sighted people said that pavement parking made it difficult to walk on the pavement at least once a week, and nearly 95% of people living with sight loss have been forced to walk in the road owing to vehicles parked on pavements. That number rose to 99% for wheelchair or mobility scooter users.”

This week it emerged that the subsequent stage for this Bill, Second studying, is now scheduled to happen on Friday 17 October 2025. The Private Members’ Bill was launched to Parliament on Wednesday 29 January below the Ten Minute Rule.

In England, pavement parking is mostly permitted except particularly prohibited by a native authority by a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). London is the exception, the place pavement parking is against the law. The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 makes it unlawful to park on the pavement in Scotland, in addition to double parking and at dropped kerbs designed to permit pedestrians to cross the highway safely.

Ms De Cordova mentioned: “As well as causing an obstruction, cars parked on pavements damage the surface, creating trip hazards, and one in five people with sight loss said they had been injured as a result. However, it does not have to be this way. In London, a law prohibiting pavement parking has been in place since 1974. Progress has also been made in Scotland, where the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 enabled local councils to enforce against pavement parking. So while progress has been made in some parts of the country, in many others pavement parking continues.”

“Although it has long been a specific offence to drive on pavements outside London and Scotland, it is not a specific offence to park on pavements in most circumstances. That is reflected in highway code rule 244, which states:

‘You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it.’”

She defined civil site visitors enforcement is feasible in some restricted instances, equivalent to for parking over dropped kerbs or adjoining to double yellow traces, however normally native site visitors wardens don’t even have powers to act. Councils can use site visitors regulation orders or set up bodily boundaries to stop pavement parking, however TROs are usually not designed to be used to cowl large areas and require appreciable signage and avenue markings, making their widespread use costly.

She added: “In some cases, cars blocking pavements can be considered an obstruction under the Highways Act 1980. However, as this is a criminal offence, it can be enforced only by police. Given the lack of a clear definition of what constitutes an obstruction, and the lack of police resources, relying on police enforcement has not proven effective. There is a clear need for a law that brings the rest of England in line with London and Scotland. Councils need to be empowered to take action, as they know their areas best. This Bill would give them the flexibility to create limited exemptions in response to consultation with their local communities.”

A survey by online parking platform YourParkingArea, based mostly on responses from over 2,000 UK adults, reveals a sharp break up in opinion forward of what had been scheduled because the Parking Offence Bill’s Second Reading within the House of Commons on Friday 11 July.

Supporters of a ban say it would make pavements safer and more accessible. Almost one in 5 respondents (19%) agreed, saying it would improve situations for pedestrians, wheelchair customers and oldsters with prams.

But others are fearful about the place the vehicles would go. Around one in ten (11%) concern a ban would increase congestion in native car parks and make loading or unloading more troublesome close to their houses.

At current, pavement parking is banned in London and Scotland. Elsewhere in England and Wales the principles are inconsistent, with councils ready to superb drivers in some instances – however no nationwide coverage in place. The proposed Bill would give native authorities higher powers to implement restrictions and introduce a more standardised strategy.

Andy Syrett, UK Managing Director at YourParkingArea, mentioned: “This is a live issue that affects almost every street in the country. If a nationwide ban is introduced, it would mean a major change to how millions of people park their cars – and live their daily lives.

“There’s strong support for safer, more accessible pavements. But it’s clear many drivers are worried about the disruption, especially in built-up areas where space is already tight.”