Bad parking

Pavement parking and parking on grass verges causes damage on areas not designed to take the weight of motor vehicles. It also obstructs and inconveniences pedestrians particularly the elderly, the infirm and those with sight difficulties, also parents with young children who are often forced to use the road with the obvious dangers. Councils already have the powers to prohibit pavement parking but each enforcement notice requires a separate application. New legislation now provides councils with the power to issue a blanket ban on pavement parking but retaining the means to designate places where pavement parking could be allowed. This reverses the current situation of individual prohibitions. Could the council seriously address this issue.

inconsiderate parking also hamper buses. On the Nethercourt estate Ramsgate, buses (No.9 route) often have trouble passing parked cars and other vehicles particularly as they try and turn corners (into Windermere Avenue) and on first entering the estate from Canterbury Road East. The problems continue as the bus tries to negotiate Chilton Lane where car owners try to make room by parking on the pavement but by doing so impede pedestrians, parents with pushchairs and the disabled. The problems continue as the bus turns into Downs Road to encounter more badly parked vehicles. The number 9 bus service has already been reduced and may be curtailed completely if these holdups continue. Many people living on the estate, particularly the elderly rely on the bus to get into town, without it they will be isolated.

Inconsiderate parking concerns everyone but the main cause is the number of vehicles on the road. Many residential roads in Thanet are narrow and older properties built without off street parking spaces. Many roads are reduced to a single centre lane with cars parked on both sides. This hampers or prevents street cleaning and drains become clogged. What if parking bays were provided down the centre of the road? This would free up two way traffic on either side. Resulting in greater safety as people, particularly children crossing, could clearly see and be seen by other road users. It would also facilitate street cleaning.