Complaints about selfish car parking in Ardwick blocking path of patients wanting to get to Manchester Royal Infirmary
- Motorists block pavement for people wanting to get to MRI
- RAC says drivers need to abide by Highway Code
- High cost of tickets may be factor in parking on street
Motorists who park on the pavement of Ardwick’s Plymouth Grove are blocking the path for patients trying to get to Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Complaints arose when Dr Julia Kasmire from the University of Manchester tweeted pictures and a video about her difficulty as a disabled person when travelling along Plymouth Grove.
@ManCityCouncil @AndyBurnhamGM No response from last week, so here it is again. Please get the pavements and bike lanes cleared to allow active travel to and from the hospital via Plymouth Grove. Disabled person here who needs to be able to walk and cross roads safely. pic.twitter.com/5y59YdteW8
— Dr. J. Kasmire (@JKasmireComplex) January 14, 2022
House manager of Elizabeth Gaskell House, Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd, said: “Normally they are all on the pavement. It’s half-term, though, so there’ll be lots of people off from Manchester.
“But that’s still a pain if you’re pulling out of our accessible parking in the courtyard and you’ve got two cars there that you can’t see.
“You’ve got to get out in the middle of the road before you can actually see.
“We have coach groups, and normally if all the cars are parked there, they can’t stop on the front for people to get out, so they have to go round the corner.
“It just doesn’t look great as well. It’s just not very nice for the community, to be honest.”
Referencing high parking ticket costs, Jastrzebski-Lloyd said: “I don’t know what the solution is, really, but it’s because people don’t want to pay to park, isn’t it? I appreciate that it is expensive, so there is a degree of sympathy.”
A spokesperson for the RAC said: “Pavement parking is illegal in London and Scotland is also planning to outlaw it.
“The Department for Transport conducted a consultation in 2020 which sought views on whether a ban should be extended to the whole of England.
“Presently, Highway Code rule 244 has stated that drivers ‘must not park partially or wholly on the pavement in London and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it’.
“Rule 242 states: ‘You must not leave your vehicle or trailer in a dangerous position or where it causes any unnecessary obstruction of the road’.
“The RAC believes there is a difference between blocking a pavement which is completely unacceptable and a driver that might put a wheel or two up the kerb, but leaves sufficient space for wheelchair users or people pushing prams.
“Where a gap of at least 1.5m cannot be left on the pavement, the driver should not park in that location.”
One reason why drivers may not be considerate when parking on pavements is unclear signs. Plymouth Grove has a school sign that is very worn down and barely legible.
The RAC added: “We urge councils to ensure signage is clear and visible to drivers. Where signage has been damaged or is generally worn down, councils should quickly replace them.”
Northern Quota has asked the city council for response. Ardwick Councillor Amna Abdullatif had this to say: “One of our biggest issues in Ardwick often relates to parking, much of it incredibly inconsiderate and dangerous.
“We are holding two days of action this week between 7:30am-9am, with our neighbourhood officers, GMP and parking enforcement officers along Plymouth Grove and around the school to inform people of the restrictions that will be reinstated by the traffic regulation orders on 18th March.
“I’ve raised the issue regarding the faded school sign, also.”