Liz McInnes MP pledges to back a law to end unsafe pavement parking

Liz McInnes MP and a representative of the charity Guide Dogs at the recent Labour Party conference

Liz McInnes, Member of Parliament for Heywood and Middleton, is supporting a Guide Dogs campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of pavement parking.

Ms McInnes spoke with the charity Guide Dogs at the recent Labour Party conference about the challenges pavement parked cars create for blind and partially sighted people, who may have to risk their safety by walking into the road just to get by. A survey by Guide Dogs showed that 97% of blind or partially sighted people encounter problems with street obstructions, and 90% of those had experienced trouble with a pavement parked car.

The MP for Heywood and Middleton heard of the difficulties that councils face in trying to tackle the issue with their current powers, and why Guide Dogs is calling for a clear law on pavement parking.

Ms McInnes is supporting Guide Dogs’ campaign to make pavement parking an offence, except in areas where local authorities grant specific exemptions. This would give local authorities real power to properly tackle this problem and bring the rest of the country in line with the current law in Greater London, which has been in place since 1974. 

Ms McInnes said: “I’m happy to support this campaign. The fact that 90% of blind or partially sighted people encounter difficulties due to pavement parking just shows what a serious problem this is. I’d urge all drivers to be more aware of the dangers and difficulties caused by pavement parking and to park in a considerate manner.”

James White, senior campaigns manager at Guide Dogs, commented: “Cars blocking pavements are a nuisance for everyone, but can be a real danger for people for people with sight loss, potentially forcing them out into the roads to get by. Outside of London, the powers that councils and police have at the moment aren’t sufficient to tackle the problem, and that’s why we want a clear law where drivers cannot park on the pavement unless they’re in a specifically designated area.”