parking on a junction ? illegal ?

[Ronald0]

"It's obstruction which ever way you want to look at it."

jetex, if you are suggesting that it should be, then I agree with you, but it's not as far as the law is concerned.

Footpath normally refers to a Public Footpath; a right of way across private land rather than a footway parallel to the carriagway.

 

[PJF220]

I can't remember the exact wording as it was many years ago, but it was definately saying 'one or more wheels off of the...'.

I also had a similar experience 2 years ago when I was pulled over by the police in a country lane. It was fairly narrow, though not single track so I pulled up on the kurb, leaving room for the officer to walk past the car on the pavement. My thinking was being narrow, any car coming down may have a tight gap to pass. However, the police didn't pull up on the kurb, and ticked me off for being irresponsible for causing an obstruction. I wasn't about to argue with them, though did wonder who would be walking down a country lane at 3am and just after he finished ticking me off, a car came down the road and had to squeeze past which made me chuckle silently.

 

[timtheenchanter]

from direct gov website...

244
You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.
[Law GL(GP)A sect 15]

246
Goods vehicles. Vehicles with a maximum laden weight of over 7.5 tonnes (including any trailer) MUST NOT be parked on a verge, pavement or any land situated between carriageways, without police permission. The only exception is when parking is essential for loading and unloading, in which case the vehicle MUST NOT be left unattended.
[Law RTA 1988 sect 19]

so it seems you MUST NOT in London and SHOULD NOT in other areas...

 

[PJF220]

Mine was in Wallington, nr Croydon, Greater London.

 

[LooPrEvil]

I recently got caught by one of those police Smart cars that have a camera on top of them. They had parked up near a set of traffic lights and observed. Apparently they were 'snapping' motorists who did not stop on red, the amber gamblers, those not wearing seat belts and those using mobile phones (which was my offence).

I had stopped on the red light and took the call whilst stationary at the lights. All I said on the phone was 'I'm driving and will call you back in 5 minutes'. The lights were still on red when the call finished, and it is only then that I spotted the snooping police. I hoped they had not caught me, but they had, the ticket soon followed in the post!

But what really got my goat up was that the police were parked on the pavement! Now come on, how can they do me for a minor offence when they were parked on the pavement? IT AIN'T FAIR!

Lou.

 

[gingerbear]

clearly a case of one rule for one and one rule for another when it comes to the cops eh !

 

[Mickymoody]

Illegal within 150 yards. I have been through the courts about this.

 

[birkee]

Quote LooPrEvil:
Don't forget GB they are your neighbours, you will still have to live next door to them and face them, knowing what you have done! And what will you do / say when they come round and warn you not to park on the pavement, because the bizzies are targetting motorists in the area?

If this isn't the perfect example of....'all it takes for evil (offending) to succeed, is for good people to do nothing'..... then you should be ashamed of yourself.

 

[birkee]

Yep, parking within a specified distance of a junction, parking with at least one wheel off the public highway and parking on dropped curbs are all illegal. Yes, even if it's parking across your own driveway it's illegal.

As I read it, it's not illegal to park on a dropped curb to someones drive, UNLESS.....you prevent the house owner exiting. It isn't illegal if you stop them getting on their drive.
Mind you....it ought to be!

 

[birkee]

clearly a case of one rule for one and one rule for another when it comes to the cops eh !

Too right!
I once saw a Police car parked at a road junction at night, with no lights on, half on the pavement, and within the zig-zags of a zebra crossing.

Honestly!! Not making it up!
I took the reg number and reported them to the Police station by phone when I got home.

 

[Mickymoody]

There is a bus stop up the road from me....and the bus stand painting is over written by the Z's of the zebra crossing...

So how is it legal for a bus to effectively park, on a Zebra crossing?

Does that make the law legal to park on Zebra crossings? or Illegal for busses to stop in bus stances? (bu-sstops)

I've challenged the council about this, and had 2 tickets refunded, due to placement of the lines of bus stance. The stance has been repainted several times. And my partner has been in the local paper protesting it.

 

[birkee]

Yes, irrational.

Not to forget, that drivers are either forced to overtake a stationary bus within the zig zags (illegal) or to queue behind the bus while it finishes dealing with passengers.

There are numerous situations where you are forced to pass stationary buses withing the zig zags.

Another favourite of mine, is following buses through traffic lights, when there is a couple of cars between you. Just before you clear the traffic lights, the bus stops at a bus stop, leaving the other traffic stranded in the road junction.
Heaven knows who pays these morons to decide where bus stops should be placed, but the offenders and their managers should be sacked.

 

[Mickymoody]

Yes, irrational.

Not to forget, that drivers are either forced to overtake a stationary bus within the zig zags (illegal) or to queue behind the bus while it finishes dealing with passengers.

There are numerous situations where you are forced to pass stationary buses withing the zig zags.

Another favourite of mine, is following buses through traffic lights, when there is a couple of cars between you. Just before you clear the traffic lights, the bus stops at a bus stop, leaving the other traffic stranded in the road junction.
Heaven knows who pays these morons to decide where bus stops should be placed, but the offenders and their managers should be sacked.

I agree. So a bus stopped on zigzags, is illegal. The only reason that the crossing was installed, was because a child ran out into traffic, where previously there had been no accidents before, but 1/2 a mile down the road, there have been many accidents and fatalities, as there is a dip, a sharp corner, a bridge, then negative camber. A parent can't look after their child, that runs into traffic, or several fatal road accidents due to bad road design? Child stupidity/Parental lack of control wins - forget the innocent drivers caught out over the years, including driving into a canal, into someones dwelling, more than once, spinning off the road, various other fatal, and serious accidents, vs one.

 

[RedHerring2]

Not to forget, that drivers are either forced to overtake a stationary bus within the zig zags (illegal)

There are numerous situations where you are forced to pass stationary buses withing the zig zags.

I believe it is illegal to overtake within the zigzags any vehicle that is moving or has stopped to allow people to cross.
It is not illegal to pass stationary traffic that has not stopped to allow people to use the crossing, i.e stopped for some other reason.

 

[Mickymoody]

You seem to make a contradiction there, you cannot overtake on zigzags, but allowed to overtake? I don't understand.

The zigzags are there for visibility. If there is a vehicle blocking the drivers view, the pedestrian can't see a vehicle, the person in the vehicle can't see the pedestrian...?