Parking on the pavement

Russinating · 13 Sep 2012 at 13:34

So apparently parking on the pavement isn't a ticketable offence. Seriously, did anyone else realise this?

I work in the centre of Bristol and every day there's one or multiple cars parked on the pavement outside our office. It gets ridiculous when it's busy at lunchtime and generally makes it look like Mexico City. I took a few photos and emailed them to Bristol Parking Services. Below are the photos and the reply.

Hi Russell

I have checked out this car yesterday. Unfortuanatley [lol] the car was parked as you say directly behind a bus stop. We have no offence to deal with this. If the car was behind double yellow lines the offence would be covered up to the building line.

The police have the power to do this for a criminal offence for an obstruction. This offence has not be decriminalised yet, hence why we do not have the power to deal with this car.

Sorry we cannnot help any further.You can call the police direct on 101 and ask for them to attend.

Sharon May

Control Room
Parking Services
Bristol City Council

What an absolute shambles. So you can park anywhere you like and as long as you're not obstructing anything/the police don't get called out (which is a lol waste of police time) then you'll be fine?

Six6siX · 13 Sep 2012 at 13:36

What's the issue besides that it makes it look like "Mexico City"?

shifty_uk · 13 Sep 2012 at 13:38

Don't see a problem here. They'll moan if/when their cars get scratched by passers by.

Russinating · 13 Sep 2012 at 13:43

Six6siX said:
What's the issue besides that it makes it look like "Mexico City"?

Forgot to mention that the whole road is a bus lane as well which means they're breaking the law by even driving to get here in the first place.

The issue is it's a massively pedestrianised area and the pavement isn't a parking spot to do your shopping?

shifty_uk said:
Don't see a problem here. They'll moan if/when their cars get scratched by passers by.

How is that any different to an actual on-street parking spot? :confused:

Conscript · 13 Sep 2012 at 13:44

Russinating said:
So you can park anywhere you like and as long as you're not obstructing anything/the police don't get called out

What's wrong with that?

lordrobs · 13 Sep 2012 at 13:46

Not sure what Bristol is like but here parking charges are going up, public transport is going up and the Park & Ride 'service' is a shadow of its former self due to massive budget cuts within the county council. As annoying as it might be you can see why people start to take the pee.

Russinating · 13 Sep 2012 at 13:48

Conscript said:
What's wrong with that?

Because it's a pavement built for walking and cycling on and not parking on?! :confused:

So you can just park in any pedestrianised area/park/garden/etc and you think that's fine?

MooMoo444 · 13 Sep 2012 at 13:50

Russinating said:
Because it's a pavement built for walking and cycling on and not parking on?!

So you can just park in any pedestrianised area/park/garden/etc and you think that's fine?

Roads are not designed for parking on also. Technically pavements aren't designed at cyclists either.

Basically, it's a pointless thing to worry over.

Russinating · 13 Sep 2012 at 13:53

MooMoo444 said:
Roads are not designed for parking on also. Technically pavements aren't designed at cyclists either.

lolwut? Not heard of double yellows and shared use paths? This pavement in particular is designed specifically for cyclists and pedestrians, so what a stupid thing to say.

Haggisman · 13 Sep 2012 at 13:54

Surely in this case it's technically an obstruction (as it's obstructing part of the pavement) and therefore the police could be called?

[TW]Fox · 13 Sep 2012 at 14:01

The email implies its a criminal offence not a council matter and not, as you seem to think, that its legal to park there. So call the police.

Conscript · 13 Sep 2012 at 14:02

Russinating said:
Because it's a pavement built for walking and cycling on and not parking on?!

So you can just park in any pedestrianised area/park/garden/etc and you think that's fine?

No, I didn't say that. You said you can park anywhere you like as long as it's not obstructing anything.

I wouldn't park there myself but going by your pictures, those cars are parked fairly neatly up against the buildings on a very wide footpath and don't seem to be blocking anything.

If they aren't breaking the law and not causing an obstruction, then I ask again - what's wrong with that?

Infidelus · 13 Sep 2012 at 15:10

I actually thought parking on the pavement was illegal (but mostly ignored), but it's either just not, or the law has changed over recent years.

Highway Code - Waiting and Parking

244
You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.

NathWraith · 13 Sep 2012 at 15:21

So if it is ok to ignore the highway code and go unpunished, this means we can ignore the rest of it right?

Ianm63 · 13 Sep 2012 at 15:23

Russinating said:
So apparently parking on the pavement isn't a ticketable offence. Seriously, did anyone else realise this?

Oh really!....not where I used to live (Paisley...Metalface Mark knows it well) I parked on a pavement near the grammer last year and got a ticket!....wasnt obstructing anyone

Click to expand...

Infidelus · 13 Sep 2012 at 16:34

NathWraith said:
So if it is ok to ignore the highway code and go unpunished, this means we can ignore the rest of it right?

The Highway Code in and of itself isn't law, but failing to adhere to it could lead to prosecution under the Road Traffic Act

NathWraith · 13 Sep 2012 at 16:54

Infidelus said:
The Highway Code in and of itself isn't law, but failing to adhere to it could lead to prosecution under the Road Traffic Act

I know, I know. I was being pedantic

Infidelus · 13 Sep 2012 at 18:43

NathWraith said:
I know, I know. I was being pedantic

I know

But I felt the need to say it anyway .... 'cos I could. That's why we all do stuff that doesn't get us 'done' isn't it?

MrMoonX · 13 Sep 2012 at 23:14

Ok so I get they shouldn't park there, but come on, haven't you got anything better to do?

rIcK · 14 Sep 2012 at 13:05

That land belongs to the shops, hence they can park there the council can do nothing. Notice the area they park on?
In this case it belongs to Sainsburys. We used to have something very similar outside where I used to work, we used the pavement ( half of it was ours ) for customer parking. This is the just unmarked