Clear Pavements Campaign

Ensuring that pavements are clear of obstructions and are pleasant, safe places for people to walk is an essential pre-requisite in getting school pupils to walk to school and commuters out of their cars. Unfortunately, illegal parking of cars and vans is an increasing problem, so Living Streets Scotland has launched this campaign to raise awareness and seek solutions.

Parking on the pavement causes inconvenience to pedestrians, who have to squeeze past or make dangerous detours onto the carriageway. It is a particular problem for people in wheelchairs, with visual impairment, pushing buggies or with young children. Accessible pavements benefit the whole community, including car drivers and their families.

Living Streets Scotland is also concerned about vehicles being parked on junction corners and across pedestrian crossings, both of which restrict visibility for pedestrians.

John Schofield, an active member of Living Streets in Dumfries, says: "Even on the busiest roads in Dumfries, such as the A709, we have 48 tonne lorries completely blocking the pavement and also unloading vehicles onto the pavement. This is completely unacceptable.

What we are doing

Living Streets Scotland is calling for:

• All pavement parking to be banned
• Clearer guidance from the Scottish Executive on action expected from local authorities
• All local authorities to take on strict enforcement of parking regulations
• A national awareness raising campaign from police and local authorities on the hazards of inconsiderate parking

Living Streets Scotland has made a detailed response to City of Edinburgh Council's Draft Parking Stategy consultation. You can read both the consultation and our reponse by clicking here.

What You Can Do

• Write to your MSP requesting clearer legislation against pavement parking (Find your MSP here)
• Contact your local police, local authority and local council to point out areas of persistent pavement parking
• Become a member of Living Streets and join others in demanding better conditions for pedestrians.

If you are keen to start a 'Clear Pavements' campaign in your area, you can download our campaign flyer, and the main Living Streets website has additional resources including a draft press release.