Parking on the pavement…but is this driver in the wrong?

Furious dad shares photo of a Range Rover on the PATH outside his son’s primary school – and others say they have the same problem – but are pavement parkers actually breaking the law?

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Parents have shared photos of selfish parking on the school run, saying pavement parking is a regular occurrence at drop-off and pick-up – but getting a ticket or fine doesn’t happen. 

One frustrated dad in Leeds posted on Twitter this week a photo of a white Range Rover that, he claims, regularly parks across a ‘School Keep Clear’ sign at his son’s primary school. 

Sharing the image of the high-end SUV parked on a grass verge on the pavement, @ecoworrierRick aka Rick Lyons wrote: ‘Can any parking experts help? Parents at our son’s primary school regularly cross the ‘School Keep Clear’ markings and park next to them on the verge/pavement. 

‘Surely this is also an offence? Can’t get the police or council interested.’

On Twitter, parents dropping their children off at primary school have shared examples of apparently selfish parking – with this Range Rover in Leeds parking regularly on the side of the pavement, in spite of a ‘School keep clear’ sign on the road

Plenty of parents facing similar parking wars at their own children’s schools were interested though, sharing their experiences – the photo has now been viewed almost 40,000 times.

Amy Tisi, a Liberal Democrats councillor for Clewer East in Berkshire, said her area faced similar trials, sharing a photo of a local school with three vehicles apparently parked on the pavement. 

Children and parents can be seen in the photo weaving around them – including one small child on a scooter. 

Beside the cars is a yellow sign that reads ‘no stopping’. Councillor Tisi wrote: ‘Would love to know the solution. Cars parking on the pavement inside zig zag lines here is a constant frustration. Can you spot the small child on a scooter trying to navigate these?’

Amy Tisi, a Liberal Democrats councillor for Clewer East in Berkshire, responded with this image, showing a trio of cars parked on the pavement near a primary school, appearing to contravene a ‘no stopping’ sign

The Berkshire councillor highlighted a small child on a scooter trying to navigate her way past the parked cars

Mr Lyons said he’d ‘complained to the point of becoming a nuisance’ to no avail, and also contacted the police, writing: ‘Their response varies massively. Sometimes they’re really responsive. Other times nothing. Problem is it needs daily enforcement and patrols are once a month at best.’ 

One person commented, said it was happening at schools around the country, writing: ‘It’s a national problem as I was told by my local council and it didn’t make any difference when parking control arrived and spoke to the offenders without issuing a ticket. And later on they’d be back and park where they liked. No deterrent and they don’t care.’

While those parking on the pavement may be annoying, they’re not necessarily breaking the law. 

According to Rule 244 of the Highway Code, it depends where you are in the country.

Parking on a pavement in London is likely to evoke a fine, but elsewhere there isn’t a blanket ban – although the police may issue a fine if vehicles are considered to be parked ‘dangerously’. 

However, there are stricter rules about parking near a school. Rule 243 states drivers must not stop or park ‘near a school entrance’.

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