People who park on pavements in Wales could face £70 fines in Wales. New plans from the Welsh Government will give local councils the power to fine people for obstructing pavements with their cars.
There is no specific law against pavement parking and across the UK it is only illegal in London. However the new plans will give councils in Wales the power to deal with the issue directly.
Police can enforce the existing criminal offence of causing 'unnecessary obstruction of any part of the highway’ but this is rarely enforced.
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In 2021, an 18 month pilot scheme in Cardiff saw drivers get an automatic fine for parking on the pavement along City Road, the BBC reports. Plans to give local councils the powers to do this across Wales are now under consultation.
Parking on pavements can pose a real challenge for those who use disability aids. Visually impaired, those who use wheelchairs as well as people using pushchairs can be forced to use the road to pass a blocked pavement.
Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change said: "I reconvened the Wales Pavement Parking Taskforce last year and asked them to explore other ways of achieving our policy aims. The Taskforce examined the feasibility of using the existing offence of obstruction of the road to address the issue of pavement parking. This approach could deliver additional benefits, allowing local authorities in Wales to deal with both pavement parking and also parked vehicles obstructing our roads.
"The Pavement Parking Taskforce has subsequently provided an addendum to their original report and recommended that this is the best way forward. I have accepted this recommendation and now propose to consult widely prior with a view to introducing the necessary legislation by the end of 2023."
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