Brazen selfish parking or 'residents left with no choice'

Yahoo

2 days ago

Images of a row of cars parked on pavements outside houses on a Liverpool street have sparked criticism and debate. The pictures were taken recently and show a number of vehicles parked fully on the pathway in Bailey Street.
Bailey Street is a very small road on the edge of Liverpool City Centre, which lies close to the city's Anglican Cathedral and the Chinatown area. Concerns have now been raised about the parking situation in the street.
One worried reader sent the image of several cars parked fully on the pavement of Bailey Street.
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They asked: "Why do residents park directly outside their front doors? Would this block emergency services getting inside?"
The image has also been shared on social media discussion site reddit, where many commenters also criticised those choosing to park their vehicles in this way.
One user said: "So many drivers don't think about how their parking forces wheelchair and pram users into the road."
Another commenter said: "My heart sinks a little every time I see a pensioner with a walker having to take their time on the side of the road because of how common this is."
And another reddit user added: "Because god forbid they have to walk a few extra feet just so that disabled people can freely get around."
But some on the forum had more sympathy for the residents of the tiny road.
One said: "Now to be fair to them where the hell else are they supposed to park? That street is tiny."
Another added: "I would say obviously in this situation parking on the road would block the road and they have no choice."
Pavement parking is a major issue here in Merseyside and causes great concerns for many.
It is a particular problem for people in wheelchairs or parents with prams, who can find themselves forced into roads when pavements and pathways are blocked by parked cars.
Liverpool City Council has vowed to crack down on pavement parking in the city, but leaders say they need more powers to do this - similar to how it operates in London.
In the capital, pavement parking is generally banned and local councils have the power to enforce this ban. There are exemptions where it can be allowed.
But outside of the capital, the same rules do not apply and the same powers are not afforded to local councils to take the same action.
Cllr Nick Small, Liverpool City Council's cabinet member for growth and the economy, previously told the ECHO: "Councils outside London need the same legal powers as London councils to be able to determine locally exactly what's right to deal with the problems in their patch as they see fit."
Liverpool Council said it is aware of the situation in Bailey Street and is investigating.