Parking mad

Photo: Darren Robinson

A tight squeeze for children, parents and buggies as they attempt to get past cars on the pavement.

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OLDHAM Council has hit out at “irresponsible, selfish and dangerous” parking on pavements close to schools and elsewhere in the borough.

Parking on pavements, blocking roads and making risky manoeuvres have all been spotted by the Chronicle photographers, who have taken these images of traffic chaos close to schools and in residential areas.

The comment comes as Parliament prepares for the second reading of the Pavement Parking (Protection of Vulnerable Pedestrians) Bill on Friday. The bill aims to strengthen the law on pavement parking while giving highway authorities powers including banning pavement parking.

Oldham Council is calling on motorists to consider the safety of other road users - particularly children on their way to and from school - and curb bad parking habits.

Councillor Dave Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Transport, said: “Irresponsible parents, carers and taxi drivers are the main reason we have parking problems outside schools.

“It’s an extremely difficult issue for the council to resolve but the solution should ultimately come from motorists – they need to stop parking in this selfish manner.”

Problem parking has become so bad outside Bare Trees Primary School in Chadderton that local residents have started a petition for parking restrictions around the school, where some residents claimup to 50 cars a day can park on local roads and pavements.

Oldham Council said parking chaos isn’t unique to Bare Trees: the majority of local schools face similar problems.

Councillor Hibbert said: “It is worrying that some parents want to park as close to the school as possible with little regard for the safety of others – including their own children.”

Parking on the pavement has already been banned in LOndon and many organisations have supported the new bill proposing stricter rules.

But not all organisations support the plans, including the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD), who argue that “sensible” pavement parking can help traffic flow.

Director Ian Taylor said: “The ABD doesn’t condone irresponsible parking that obstructs pavements any more than that which blocks roads. But there are places where sensible pavement parking would and should take place without obstructing anyone - and would help to keep traffic flowing. The proposals within the Bill are hugely disproportionate, unfairly punishing the majority of sensible and considerate drivers.”