Verge Parking is Selfish Environmental Vandalism
The Brighton and Hove area is plagued by selfish drivers who seem to think that they have the right to park on pavements and verges. They don’t! And it is about time it stopped.
Why is Pavement Parking and Verge Parking Wrong?
- It can cause an inconvenience or even a hazard to pedestrians
- It creates hazards for visually impaired, disabled and elderly people
- It can cause problems for people with pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters
- It can cause costly damage to the kerb, pavement or verge
- Damaged or defective pavements, caused by parking, can become hazardous
- Injuries sustained as a result of damaged pavements and verges result in local authorities facing significant claims for compensation
- Verge parking destroys valuable green space and makes roads look muddy and messy
The enforcement of pavement parking and verge parking laws has been the responsibility of the police. Hence, nothing has ever been done about it. Take a look around any densely populated area of Brighton and you see road after road full of cars illegally parked on the pavements.
As of 31st March the Road Traffic Act 2004 came into force and Brighton and Hove City Council became responsible for the enforcement of the regulations. Parking Attendants will now be called Civil Enforcement Officers and will be given powers to issue Penalty Charge Notices for various parking offences. These will include pavement parking, double parking and parking on a dropped curb.
But will we actually see some action? I’ll believe it when I see it. If you want to complain about pavement parking in your area the following BBC site has some good advice: How to Complain About Pavement Parking
Basically, you need to take a digital photograph, record the date, time, where it was etc. And then send all this to parking@brighton-hove.gov.uk . But don’t expect a reply.
