Please enforce parking restrictions
Reported in the Car parking category anonymously at 12:02, Tue 15 September 2009
Sent to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council 2 minutes later
Please enforce parking restrictions at the junction of Ellington Drive with Gershwin Road - often, during the school term, cars are parked close to the junction and in some cases overhanging the junction, making it dangerous (for both me making the turn, and for parents and schoolchildren who may be crossing) to turn right out of Ellington Drive onto Gershwin Road. This is particularly important while roadworks are taking place between the junction and the bus stop. The Highway Code (reproduced at http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069860) states:-
243 DO NOT stop or park
near a school entrance anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank on the approach to a level crossing/tramway crossing opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space near the brow of a hill or hump bridge opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles in front of an entrance to a property on a bend where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities except when forced to do so by stationary traffic
Offensive? Unsuitable? Tell us
Updates
Thank you for your recent message. Unfortunately, school time parking is an issue outside many schools. Whilst the borough and county councils have encouraged the adoption of school travel plans and the promotion of alternatives to car travel, inevitably, for many reasons, some parents will still drive their children to and from school.
The advice given in the highway code is not in itself law but often highlights laws that exist. In this instance (parking at a junction) action could only be taken by a Police officer if he or she considered that a parked vehicle was causing an obstruction or a danger. I will happily pass on your concerns to Hampshire Constabulary with a request that the local beat officer investigates. I had a look this afternoon and on this occasion the parking did not extend too close to the junction.
For information, our own Civil Enforcement Officers (Parking Attendants) powers are limited to enforcing formal parking controls such as yellow lines, residents parking and limited waiting.
We will assess this junction and others near the school for possible parking controls. We do not have a right to simply mark yellow lines and must seek to promote a Traffic Regulation Order. Whilst the cost of the actual yellow lines is negligible the cost to progress the legal Traffic Regulation Order is high limiting the number of parking control schemes we can implement each year. Our 2009/10 programme for Traffic Regulation Orders has already been determined and there are many more requests . As you may appreciate, parking near junctions is a common complaint and we need to make sure our limited funding for traffic regulation orders is targeted to areas where it is going to be of greatest public benefit.
I hope this information is of help and interest.
Regards
Provide an update
Please note that updates are not sent to the council. If you leave your name it will be public. Your information will only be used in accordance with our privacy policy