Written evidence submitted by Mrs Jacqueline Stubbs (PPA0415)

-          Vehicles parking across dropped kerbs

-          Vehicles using pavement as a car park

-          Wheelchair users, etc not being able to negotiate access through parked vehicles

-          Disablist attitude of drivers – don’t think they are doing anything wrong and often abusive if challenged

-          Vehicles parked on pavement  and no space for wheelchair users, etc to pass by but no dropped kerbs to get off pavement

-          Dangers of having to use the road instead of pavement

-          Adverse effect of loss of confidence on disabled people, as well as it becoming too difficult to go out independently 

-          Prevents others doing their jobs

-          Pavement parking should be treated with ‘0’ tolerance

-          Damages pavements and can create trip hazards, etc

My name is Jacqueline Stubbs and I have been disabled all my life.  I am now 70 years of age and have been a full time wheelchair user for the last 30 years.  I drive my own car and usually travel alone, meeting friends, etc at the venues I am visiting.  Over the past few years I have become increasingly aware of how, eg designated parking for disabled people is being abused and ‘inconsiderate’ parking seems to be becoming the norm for some drivers.  These actions by some drivers are making my life more difficult as I cannot use mainstream parking spaces and often have to struggle over difficult terrain or negotiate hills.  They also cause me a lot of inconvenience, as well as put me at risk of being hit by vehicles when I have to use the roadway (often for quite long distances) if access to the pavement is blocked because drivers have parked their vehicles across dropped kerbs.

1        I attend history classes at the Old Queen’s Head, Pond Hill, Sheffield and over the past 4/5 years have found it increasingly difficult to access the adjacent pavement due to vehicles both parking across the dropped kerb and parking on the pavement itself (sometimes there are 7/8 vehicles parked in this area).  The result is that the vehicles are parked so close together that on many occasions I cannot find a route through and have to resort to travelling along South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive’s buses only road until I reach a zebra crossing sited on Sheffield Interchange which allows me to access the pavement.  The latest incidence of this happening was 3 days ago, ie 29 May 2019.

2        Another issue I often encounter is vehicles parking on the pavement and not leaving room for wheelchair users, etc to pass.  If there is no dropped kerb in the vicinity, then my only options are to wait for the driver to return or go back and try to find another route.  This was my experience 2 days ago, ie 30 May when a van was parked on Mulberry Street in Sheffield city centre.  I had to wait for the driver of the van to return as my car was parked in a designated bay for disabled people directly behind the van and there was no other way of getting to my car.

3        Not being able to access pavements poses a serious risk to safety.  On numerous occasions I have had to travel in the road because of vehicles parked on the pavement, the danger is made worse by having to go round the outside of vehicles, which effectively means I am in the middle of the road with all manner of vehicles having to negotiate around me.

4        I have often encountered disablist attitudes from the drivers of vehicles parked on pavements, as happened on 30 May with the driver of the van blocking access to my car.  He did not apologise and was adamant he had the right to park there as he claimed there was nowhere else for him to park.  He then made the comment that I ‘must be alright’ (implying I wasn’t disabled) as I was challenging him for parking where he had (adjacent to no loading and double yellow lines).  Occasionally, these encounters have the effect of me not wanting to go out as I don’t want all the hassle that it can bring.  I also know other disabled people who have experienced loss of confidence due to similar encounters and who are now reluctant to go out independently and without any support.  The drivers who park their vehicles on pavements think they are doing nothing wrong and don’t appear to have any thought of the danger or problems they create for others.

5        Another aspect of pavement parking is that it can prevent other people from doing their job.  An example of this is that cars parked on the pavement adjacent the Old Queen’s Head have prevented the delivery men opening the trap door to enable them to roll barrels down into the cellar.  I have also witnessed emergency vehicles having difficulty getting through narrow streets due to vehicles parked jointly on the road/pavement where parking restrictions are in place.

6        Pavements are not designed to stand the weight of vehicles and can be seriously damaged by vehicles being parked on them.  This in turn can lead to, eg holes being trip hazards or loose tarmac causing people to slip.

7        I feel the only way to stop pavement parking is to adopt a ‘0’ tolerance policy and impose heavy fines and in the worse cases, tow the vehicles away.  For areas which are becoming ‘car parks’ strategically placed bollards could be put in place, whilst access routes to dropped kerbs should be clearly defined in some way.  Drivers could also be made to attend disability equality training courses.

May 2019