Slough Public Questions - 9 October 2007

 

 
Question 07

16 October 2007

From: Mr A Tilbury

I have seen children as young as 6 years old having to walk from the pavement into the road to bypass vehicles completely blocking the pavements. Why does the Highway Authority continue to ignore blatant obstruction of virtually the whole width of pavements whilst knowing the pavement is a lawful part of the highway intended for pedestrians and that the obstruction of pavements by motor vehicle parking is causing serious and stressful road safety risks particularly to young children, mothers with young children, the elderly and to the disabled which is a deplorable manifestation of the Highway Authority\'s neglect of its statutory responsibility and how many people will have to die or be seriously injured before the Highway Authority does its job effectively and properly ?

Reply: Councillor Dexter Smith

Inappropriate motor vehicle parking is a Borough-wide problem. Slough Borough Council acting as the Highway Authority has been working very closely with the Police, community wardens and our parking enforcement contractor in order to alleviate the problem within our Borough.

The Council has the ability to trace the address of the vehicles’ owners and warning letters are being sent out constantly to the motorists both living in Slough and to those coming into Slough from outside who are committing this type of offence which is contravening the Highways Act 1980. From time to time, the Highway Maintenance team also instigate other preventative measures to deter vehicles parking on the footway or verges.

However, as far as enforcement is concerned, only the Police are empowered under the Highways Act 1980 to clear the obstruction from within the public highway and we often have to refer the matters to the Police for them to take the necessary action.

If Mr Tilbury could let me know of any specific locations where there are particular problems, I will be more than happy to look into the problem.