IN reply to Sandy Sanford’s letter (Echo, March 29) on the matter of pavement parking, this is indeed a serious and deeply aggravating problem in so many areas.

As matters stand – and it really beggars belief – if a vehicle parks partly on the pavement over yellow lines the owner is liable to a ticket penalty. But pull right up on the pavement all four wheels, then wardens have, it seems, no power to issue a ticket.

That then is when such “obstruction” might become a police matter - but then it would have to be very serious for police to give priority and time.

And as for pavement parking in general, with no yellows or obstruction, the council has, it seems, no powers.

However there is possibly some hopeful news on the whole issue in the pipeline (Echo, March 24), although I, for one, am not holding my breath.

The Local Government Association has called for further powers from government and the Department for Transport says it is “looking at whether more can be done”.

I can only say that strikes me as a very weak statement indeed and like many, I despair that it takes decades, if not whole lifetimes, for authorities to deal with blatantly obvious serious issues such as this one.

Many neighbourhoods are overwhelmed with vehicles but our pavements must, as so many say, be protected for pedestrians to feel safe and, indeed, be safe – not obstructed and blocked by pavement parkers for personal convenience all but for a 20 or 50-yard walk.

JEFF WILLIAMS

Jubilee Road, Parkstone

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