20 February 2023 , 11:58
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People who park on the pavement could be fined under new plans from the Welsh government.
The new £70 fines will allow local councils in Wales to fine and penalise people for obstructing pavements with their cars.
Currently, there is no such law against pavement parking across the UK but is illegal in London.
Police can enforce the existing criminal offence of causing 'unnecessary obstruction of any part of the highway’ but this is rarely enforced.
The Scottish government are said to also have passed a law banning pavement parking but it has not yet been enforced.
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Many people have welcomed the new policy, praising it as a positive change for those who use wheelchairs as well as people who use pushchairs.
Drivers could face fines for parking on the pavement (Getty Images)Kat Watkins, from charity Disability Wales and a wheelchair user said blocked paths pose a risk to wheelchair users and create barriers 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," she said.
"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 will consult on the issue with a view to introducing legislation by the end of the year.
In 2021, an 18 month pilot scheme in Cardiff saw drivers get an automatic fine for parking on the pavement along City Road, Wales Online reports.
Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change said he had called together the Wales Pavement Parking Taskforce last year to discuss ways of achieving the new policy aims and plans on introducing the new policy 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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