Motorists to be fined by local councils for parking on pavement

The Welsh Government task force has set out a plan to allow local authorities to act from July 2022. Credit: Welsh Government

The Welsh Government is to give local authorities the power to fine people parking on pavements.

Ministers are backing the recommendations of an independent expert group to give councils additional civil enforcement powers to fine problem parkers.  

Deputy Transport Minister, Lee Waters MS, who set up the task force said: "The current law is not as clear as it could be. There is no specific offence of parking on pavements, and though the police can enforce the existing criminal offence of causing ‘unnecessary obstruction of any part of the highway’, it is rarely enforced."

The Welsh Pavement Parking Taskforce rejected the outright ban being pursued in Scotland, which is set to take five years to implement, saying that it was 'overly slow and complex'.

The plans mean councils will be able to crack down on pavement parking.

Instead the task force has set out a plan to allow local authorities to act from July 2022.

  • What are the current rules on pavement parking?

Pavement parking can be obstructive to pedestrians particularly for partially sighted people and those using prams. It has been illegal to park on the pavement in London since 1974.

The Highway Code says drivers "MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it."

But, outside of London, the situation is less clear. The Highway Code states drivers "should not" park on the pavement - which, as the RAC explains, is advisory and not backed up by legislation.

Though depending on the local authority, in certain cases you can still get a fine for doing so.

Deputy Transport Minister, Lee Waters MS added: “We want more people to walk for short journeys and yet we tolerate an environment that is often not pedestrian friendly; too many routes are cluttered or blocked.

"A recent survey found that 83% of people in Wales view it as a real problem. We recognise that in some streets there are too many cars for the space available and we don’t want to penalise people who have no alternative.

"This approach lets Councils target hot spots and vary its approach depending on local circumstances."

All ten recommendations of the Welsh Pavement Parking Taskforce are being accepted by the Welsh Government.