Enforcing against pavement parking starts on City Road

DRIVERS who park their vehicle on a pavement on City Road could face a £70 Penalty Charge Notice through a new 18-month pilot scheme that starts today.

Pavement parking often causes an obstruction to other road users, especially those who are visually impaired or those pushing a young child in a pram. Not only does is it cause a nuisance to pedestrians, but it can also damage the pavement itself, or any underlying infrastructure beneath it.

Parking on pavements has been an ongoing problem in City Road for some time and can only be restricted or enforced if there are double yellow lines on the road, or a specific ‘no parking zone is in place.

Outside both London and Scotland, without a specific legal order, it isn’t illegal to park on a pavement unless a vehicle is causing an obstruction – an offence that can only be enforced by the police.

A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said:

“The council has consulted with the public on pavement parking. In a recent survey, 70% of those who responded felt that pavement parking was an issue in Cardiff and should be made illegal if possible.

“72% of people who responded to the same survey also said they would enjoy walking more if there was less pavement parking in the city. Given this, the issue was highlighted for action in the Transport White Paper, which is Cardiff’s transport vision for the city for the next 10 years.”

The ‘no parking zone’ on City Road is now in place and is clearly displayed to the public, with signs in place showing where the ‘no parking zone’ starts and ends.

Any vehicle that parks partially or fully on the pavement in City Road within the ‘no parking zone’ will be liable to a £70 Penalty Charge Notice.

The enforcement will be carried out by the council’s Civil Enforcement Officers, as well as through CCTV footage that is managed in the control room.

The pilot scheme in City Road will be closely monitored to see if the enforcement scheme improves the ongoing problems. If deemed successful, a similar scheme could be brought into other areas of the city that are experiencing the same problems.