Drivers who mount the kerb when parking are putting lives at risk by forcing pedestrians including the blind and parents with prams to walk in the road, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). A ban on pavement parking has been in place in London for 40 years, but there are fewer restrictions outside the capital, added to which, councils say the current system of Traffic Regulation Orders are time-consuming, expensive and bureaucratic. Local authorities who want to stop the practice must currently use Traffic Regulation Orders, which they claim are time-consuming, expensive and bureaucratic. Martin Tett, transport spokesman at the LGA, which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, said it "seems a nonsense" that those outside London do not have more control to stop pavement parking. "Local authorities need this power to respond to concerns raised by their communities, for example if a street is becoming dangerously congested or pedestrians are being forced to step out into the street to get round parked vehicles," he said. "Blind and partially sighted people need clear pavements so they can navigate safely when they’re out and about, free from fear of injury or danger. “This is particularly dangerous for blind or partially sighted people and mums and dads with prams.”

The LGA warned that local authorities have limited funds to repair kerbs, verges and pavements damaged by vehicle tyres and said this money would be better used to help plug a £12 billion roads repair bill. Mr Tett said councils would "carefully consult with communities" before bans were implemented. AA president Edmund King warned that a blanket ban "simply won't work" as certain roads would become blocked if drivers cannot partially park on the pavement.
A vehicle mounts the pavement and runs into pedestrians in Islington, London, injuring 4. The teenage perpetrators are found carrying offensive weapons, but are not assumed to be terrorists.