It’s Bin a nightmare!
RESIDENTS TO PROTEST OVER COMMUTERS PARKING IN THEIR STREET
RESIDENTS have become so fed-up with commuters parking outside their homes they are planning a ‘wheeliebin protest’ to stop them.
Neighbours in the St George’s area of Hulme say the narrow pavements have become flooded with cars in recent years, forcing parents and their buggies into the road and blocking bin lorries.
They say builders working on nearby developments have also been parking their vans in the area and making the problem worse.
It’s only a matter of time before a child is injured, one resident claimed.
Lower Moss Lane, Tatton Street, Anne Nuttall Street and Catfield Walk are among those affected.
Two years ago, Manchester council were planning to introduce a residents parking permit scheme, but this was axed due to funding issues. Neighbours are continuing to campaign for parking control and town hall bosses say a permit scheme is in the pipeline.
Next Tuesday evening, residents are going to leave their wheelie bins out on the pavement, to block drivers from parking there for work on Wednesday morning.
Leaflets and posters are being handed out in the community to get as many people involved as possible.
They have also been posting pictures of congested streets on a Facebook page and have launched a petition in an attempt to get the council to listen.
Resident Kevin Gallagher, 58, of Catfield Walk, said: “It is not fair. Mothers with buggies can’t get past on the footpath. We call police on 101, they have an action day and then don’t see them for another three or four weeks. It is only a matter of time before a kid will end up getting injured.”
He added: “Bin wagons can’t get down. Recently one had to reverse all of the way back up, what if that is an ambulance or a fire engine?
“Lot of people are given the ‘traffic offence reports’ and police have given several hundred out to a few cars over the last six to eight months.”
Coun Angeliki Stogia, Executive Member for Environment, Transport and Planning, said: “Our manifesto in the recent local elections, which is now council policy, includes developing a comprehensive set of parking policies which discourage commuter and nonresident parking in residential areas.
“In this case we’ve been meeting with residents regularly to discuss the problems caused in this area by commuter parking and plans are in motion for the introduction of a parking permit scheme. We will meet with residents again in the near future to update them on our progress towards this goal.”
Earlier this year, the Department for Transport said it is considering rolling out a nationwide ban on pavement parking.
Parking on pavements is not currently illegal in the UK outside London. Under the Highway Code, drivers can still face punishment for pavement parking if they cause a serious inconvenience to blind people, parents with pushchairs and wheelchair users.
However, if the new law is enforced drivers could be fined £70 for parking on the pavement.
A Manchester council spokesman added: “We’re developing options and plan to meet with residents again in the near future to determine the best way forward.”