Guide Dogs is calling for a nationwide law on pavement parking in a response to a Government consultation. Guide Dogs want to bring the rest of the country into line with Greater London where pavement parking is prohibited except in areas where it is expressly permitted.
Where cars are parked on pavements people who are blind and partially sighted may have to risk their lives by walking into the road just to get by. This is an issue that also impacts parents with prams, wheelchair users, and older people and many others.
A survey by Guide Dogs showed 97% of blind or partially sighted people encounter problems with street obstructions, and 90% of those had experienced trouble with a pavement parked car.
Daniel Zeichner MP said: “It will be strangely disconcerting to lose one of my senses and I know I’ll have to be totally reliant on an amazing guide dog to get me from A to B.
"Overcoming obstacles like wheelie bins, lampposts, cars parked on pavements are things that blind and partially sighted people have to deal with every single day. It’s made me think very differently about our streets and roads.”
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