British drivers could be hit with huge fines for parking on the pavement with support for law changes
Pavement parking rules were launched across Scotland last year
GETTY
The new Labour Transport Secretary could look to introduce parking law changes in the near future which could see drivers around Britain impacted.
Despite only being in power for a few weeks, Labour has already made headway in achieving its manifesto pledges, as evidenced by the King's Speech.
Extra rules for drivers could even be introduced to deal with motorists choosing to park on the pavements, which is currently not illegal.
Rules on pavement parking are only seen in London and Scotland, with local authorities being granted enforcement powers to deal with people leaving their cars on pavements.
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Drivers can be fined £100 for parking on the pavement in Scotland
GETTYExperts are now suggesting that Transport Secretary Louise Haigh could be looking to introduce pavement parking measures after previously speaking in favour of such action.
Haigh, who represents Sheffield Heeley, wrote on her website that more needed to be done to protect vulnerable people from having to deal with people parking on the pavement.
The post, from 2018, thanked her constituents for raising the issue, saying that those who are blind and partially sighted are particularly affected, in addition to the elderly, wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs.
She added: "Current laws on pavement parking are often costly for councils who are having to repair damaged pavements, but are extremely dangerous for vulnerable road users.
"There are ways that local councils, along with the police, can act to tackle on-street and pavement parking, such as under legislation governing obstruction and dangerous parking, and designating limited areas of ‘no pavement parking’."
Support for laws to deal with pavement parking has been growing in recent years, with advocacy groups being set up to protect vulnerable people, especially those with Guide Dogs - a cause that Haigh referenced in her blog post.
The Labour manifesto did not provide any details about whether new pavement parking rules would be introduced, although some experts are predicting that laws could change over the next five years under Keir Starmer's party.
Laws recently changed in Scotland to ban the practice, with drivers now at risk of a £100 fine for parking on the pavement, at dropped kerbs or double parking.
The move was supported by people who use wheelchairs and have Guide Dogs, including campaigner Michael Tornow, who said pavement parking was "unsafe" and "unfair".
Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, said pavement parking would be a "major priority" for the Government as a way to make streets safer for all road users.
He said: "You don’t need to be a particularly vulnerable pedestrian to understand how dangerous pavement parking can be.
"Parking on kerbs also damages pavements, leading to costly repairs, and it is money that could be spent fixing the gaping holes in our roads instead."
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Louise Haigh has previously spoken in favour of pavement parking measures
GETTYEarlier this year, the Local Government Association said the new Scottish laws should be extended to cover England and Wales, adding that councils do not have the powers to tackle it.
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