Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the contribution of Baroness Williams of Trafford of 11 February 2015, Official Report, House of Lords, column 1333, that targeted local bans on pavement parking outside London would be more effective than a blanket ban and with reference to the Answer of 12 November 2013, Official Report, column 576W, on parking: pedestrian areas, that his Department does not collect information on local parking enforcement and pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2015 to Question 221436, that his Department does not hold information on local authority traffic regulation orders, what the evidential basis is for the statement by Baroness Williams.
Answer
The ability of a local authority to make a traffic regulation order to prohibit footway parking already exists and is done without reference to my Department. We do not receive representations in this respect.
My department may not collect information on local parking enforcement or traffic regulation orders, however the basis for the Government’s view is that targeted and properly enforced restrictions, using existing powers, address specific problems in specific areas. In contrast, a blanket ban would take no account of local circumstances. It would mean local authorities having to review their entire road network to identify where footway parking was still necessary and introduce new orders, signs and markings to enable it in those places. They would also have to remove the orders, signs and markings that are currently in place to restrict footway parking.