Parking on the Pavement in London

[dn38416]

Ola

I've seen loads of references to how parking on the pavement in London is a massive no-no, but no actual references to the rules. (As far as i'm aware this is done on a council level, rather than London wide anyway). What about parking on a curb extended for traffic calming - that way you're not actually obstructing pedestrians?

Basically, quite often down my street there's normally one or two spaces for a car - rather than an inbetween space which is too small for a car but big enough for a bike. So by parking in that space i am denying some family saloon from parking in their own neighbourhood. There are curb extensions at the start of the street, where it juts out to narrow the road from both sides. Why can't i park on that?

The only legislation i've seen relating to this is Road Traffic Act 1988, Section 34 (b). But does a curb extension count as a footway...if it leads to nowhere?

It's London so it'll probably get nicked soon anyway.

[Tracer1234]

[Rogerborg]

any person who, on or after the appointed day in or on any urban road in Greater London parks a vehicle so that one or more of its wheels is resting on-

(a) any footway [i.e. pavement];
(b) any land (not being a footway) which is situated between two carriageways in any such road; or
(c) any grass verge, garden or space not falling within the foregoing paragraph (a) or (b);

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale
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[lingeringstin...]

My references for this are from my days as a courier which ended over ten years ago now but here's how it was.

No matter where you park a bike some car owner will think it's their right or even duty to have the spot you've parked your bike in. This even extends to motorcycle only parking bays.

Most buildings in London have the right of the pavement in front of or around them, sometimes marked by weird little markers imbedded in the concrete. Even if you could mount the pavement and park there a traffic warden with absolutely no grasp of the English language will be upon you in six seconds.

On urban side streets ignorant halfwits will put out traffic cones or planks on bricks or even signs up claiming the parking space outside their house on a public road. When you see this remove the obstacles, shout abuse in the general direction of the front door, park your bike there and take a photo. Mr or Mrs Retard will undoubtedly come home later and physically move your bike out of their "spot", possibly even knocking it out of the way with his car so that it ends up on it's side on the NO PARKING lines where the traffic wardens will immediately descend upon it. 99% of the time your photographic evidence will make no odds whatsoever when you try to contest the extortionate council parking fines.

In inner London cars used to regularly park sideways in motorcycle bays when I was a courier and it seemed like the generally Stormtrooper attitude of the traffic wardens didn't extend to this sort of behaviour for some reason. Consequently (and completely by an unknown means) when I found cars parked like this they often mysteriously sprouted radiator leaks or punctures. Must be something to do with the pain on the ground that says MOTORCYCLE PARKING ONLY.

In short if you park a bike anywhere in London, and I mean ANYWHERE, it spells disaster or theft, probably both.

But that's just my experience from back in the day, so it may be slightly different now but I doubt it.

As a health and safety note, always carry a really long, very sharp screwdriver as part of your standard motorcycle tool kit for roadside emergencies.

[barrkel]

If you park on pavement that isn't privately owned you'll get fined sooner or later.

The typical signal for privately owned pavement is pavement lights - the building's basement extends out into the area of the pavement, so that section of pavement is actually within the boundary of a private property deed. Depending on the borough and the property owner, you can park on those lights without a problem. And depending on how enlightened the property owner is, there may even be ground anchors for motorcycles.

Boroughs I've safely parked all day long on private pavement include Islington and Hackney. But in Hackney you can park in any bay, as long as it's perpendicular to the kerb and ideally at the end of the bay. (Though there are exceptions around Hoxton Square.)

Here's an example of pavement lights and ground anchors on St John Street:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5247814,-0.1036021,3a,75y,34.99h,82.19t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sUc1L9WVAH0KUzS7wqOLJdA!2e0!5s20080701T000000!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

I can't speak for any other boroughs.
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[Rogerborg]

[M.C]

If you park on the pavement you have to cover your plate and be ready to throat punch any traffic wardens. Footprints of buildings seems to be ok.

[Andy_Pagin]

I wonder if there's any definition of 'Urban Road' or 'Greater London' in law.
Eg. Is the City of London 'Greater London'. I would have thought not since it's effectively a walled City state, Greater London being the shanty town built around it by the local paupers.
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[M.C]

[dn38416]

[M.C]

A traffic warden told me they will just lift a cover, need to electrify it

[Commuter_Tim]

[Pete.]

[Rogerborg]

[hellkat]

[M.C]

[Tigerlea]

[el_oso]

Luckily I've not had to park in Westminster or Chelsea, which are the only two London boroughs that charge for m/c parking from what I can remember. I've been working in the city for a month or so now, and haven't had to fight to find a parking space yet.
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[hellkat]

[Polarbear]

I wonder if they do part time traffic wardens jobs in Milton Keynes? I'd be a right cunt
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[Rogerborg]

I doubt you'd meet their ethics criteria - you seem to have some.

[Tracer1234]

[Commuter_Tim]

[Polarbear]