DRIVERS who park on the pavement have been warned they face a sizeable fine in a new crackdown.
Motorists in Wales could soon be slapped with a £70 fine for obstructing the pavement with their vehicles, under plans being drawn up by the Welsh government.
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At present there is no such law against pavement parking in the UK but it is illegal in London.
However, police can enforce the existing criminal offence of causing “unnecessary obstruction of any part of the highway” although this is rarely used.
Scotland’s government is said to have passed a law banning pavement parking but it has not yet been enforced.
Many people have already praised the policy, saying it is a positive move for anyone needing to use a wheelchair or anyone with a pushchair.
Kat Watkins, from the charity Disability Wales, who is also a wheelchair user, said blocked paths pose a hazard for wheelchair users and creates a barrier for many disabled people.
She told the BBC: “If there’s less than a metre (3ft) I’m definitely not going to get through that gap.
“For me, it’s exhausting, and extremely frustrating because you’ve then got to fight to get to the places you want and that you thought you could get to quite easily.
“It is so inconsiderate, people have lives as well. Wheelchair users, we have lives also. We need to go places. It’s out of order.”
The Welsh government is set to consult on the issue and hopes to introduction legislation by the end of the year.
An 18-month pilot scheme was set up in Cardiff in 2021 which saw drivers get an automatic fine for parking on the pavement along City Road, a report by Wales Online said.
The deputy minister for climate change, Lee Waters, said had called together the Wales Pavement Parking Taskforce last year in order to discuss ways of achieving the new policy with plans to introduce it by the end of 2023.
He said: “The Taskforce examined the feasibility of using the existing offence of obstruction of the road to address the issue of pavement parking.
“This approach could deliver additional benefits, allowing local authorities in Wales to deal with both pavement parking and also parked vehicles obstructing our roads.”
He added: “The Pavement Parking Taskforce has subsequently provided an addendum to their original report and recommended that this is the best way forward.
“I have accepted this recommendation and now propose to consult widely prior with a view to introducing the necessary legislation by the end of 2023.”
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