Dangers of pavement parking highlighted at Labour Conference

Pavement parking and its effect on blind and partially sighted people was the key message being shared by Guide Dogs UK during the Labour Party Conference.

81% of people with sight loss said that reducing obstacles on pavements and street clutter was important to increasing their quality of life, Adam Marsh, policy and campaigns manager at Guide Dogs, said.

There is inconsistency on the issue between England, Scotland and Wales, Marsh noted.

A consultation carried out by the previous government concluded in November 2020, and as the five-year anniversary approaches, Guide Dogs is calling for a response from Westminster.

The current situation means that adding traffic signs to every street and working alongside existing traffic regulations is prohibitively expensive, Marsh said.

Legislation on devolution would give power to local authorities to tackle the issue in their own areas, the charity believes.

Guide Dogs is particularly looking to MPs in England to respond to the 2020 consultation.

Andrew Lennox, chief executive of Guide Dogs, explained to OT why the charity is campaigning on the issue.

“This is an issue that doesn’t just affect people with a guide dog – it affects people with disabilities; people with families out with push chairs. It’s the idea that you cannot get along your own pavement; you’re forced out into the road, into oncoming traffic,” Lennox said.

He explained: “Back in 2020, the previous government conducted a survey and a study, and we have been waiting for the publication of that since then.

“We have been asking at this conference specifically to get that study published, so we can start taking some meaningful action around this now.”

Lennox added that, in Scotland and in London, there is already legislation in place to prevent pavement parking.

Guide Dogs UK is not looking to ban the practice, Lennox said – just for consideration of where it is allowed and where it isn’t.

“That’s what we’re asking: for our politicians to think about this issue and take it seriously,” Lennox said.

“The ability to block someone getting out into the world is a significant impediment to people, especially those with visual impairment. We want to make change within that.”

“It adds a level of danger”

Scott Keegan, a volunteer with Guide Dogs, attended the Labour Party Conference with his dog, Ribbon.

He told OT about his own experiences navigating pavement parking in his day-to-day life.

“For someone with a guide dog, when you’re having to be pushed out onto the road, it adds a level of danger,” Keegan said.

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He explained: “Guide dogs are trained, when they can’t get through the gap that a car leaves when they’re parked on the pavement, to walk you out onto the road and find the nearest point where it’s safe to join back onto the pavement.

“I’ve had an experience where there has been five cars parked in a line, which means I’ve been out onto the road for 30 seconds to a minute. That can add a level of danger.

“Dogs are not robots. They are trained to get us out of the way of danger. But if there is a car coming around a corner whilst I’m in the middle of the road, it might not see us in time.”

There have been occasions where guide dogs and their owners have been hit by cars after being pushed out to the road, Keegan said.

Keegan explained that the situation can cause delays to journeys.

“We have specific routes that we go to when we’re going to the shops, for example, and the dogs are trained to follow that route,” he said.

“When cars are parked on the pavements, and it adds a level of delay. Sometimes we have to go in the opposite direction, or again, we’re out onto the road. It delays what should be a very quick journey.”