On 04/02/2024 11:59 am, Simon Mason wrote:
Julie Pilsworth from Grimsby uses a powerchair and her guide dog Maeve to get about, but is obstructed by cars parked on the pavement on a daily basis. Without a safe space to cross the road, she often has to take 20-minute detours and struggles to get
to doctor's appointments.
She said: "It makes me feel really upset, because often people come outside and they're abusive to me because I've kindly asked them to move out of the way.
"You don't know if someone's going to attack you. When someone sounds really aggressive it makes me feel so frightened and I often go home either in tears or feeling like not going out again because you just don't feel safe."
A YouGov survey showed 85% of people know pavement parking impacts the safety of visually impaired pedestrians, yet it happens all to frequently. Guide Dogs have launched a petition for stronger laws around pavement parking, citing the danger people
can face if forced off the pavement and into the road.
Maeve is a six-year-old Labrador who is able to guide Julie around most obstacles, helping her progress past most - but not all - pavement parking.
Julie said: "Before I had Maeve I was too anxious to go out on my own, I used a long ball cane with my powerchair. Since getting Maeve she's enabled me to get out independently with her by my side, and she keeps us both safe."
Julie warned that if the law doesn't change, she fears that it's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt as a result of pavement parking.
https://planetradio.co.uk/viking/local/news/i-often-go-home-in-tears-the-effects-of-pavement-parking/
The law might change on that subject, but the only really effective
legislative change would occur if households with no off-street parking
were simply not permitted to keep a motor vehicle at all.
And if those which do have some off-street parking were limited to only
the number of vehicles which can be fitted onto that space.
It is such an obvious solution and would have several effects, including
making the ownership of small pockets of land in residential areas a
valuable asset because off-street parking spaces could be rented out (or
even sold freehold or leasehold).
Of course, people like Julie with her mobility difficulties, are more in
danger (while on the FOOTway) from speeding chav-cyclists. I certainly
don't support FOOTway parking, but chav-cyclists are only against it
because they want the FOOTways cleared for *their* use. They could not
care less about pedestrians or mobility scooter users.
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