Careless parking beside dropped kerbs is being targeted by accessibility group DisabledGo which says the practice is inconsiderate to those with mobility issues.

 

Last week the group clocked up its 500th individual example of poor parking from photographs submitted over social media by members of the public, after launching a campaign earlier this year.

 

It is calling for those responsible for parking enforcement to take a tougher line on those who ‘block the drop’. It said that two thirds of all cases involve private vehicles.

 

DisabledGo chairman Barry Stevenson said: “This issue affects thousands of disabled people every day. If drivers were more considerate and traffic wardens more vigilant this problem could be dramatically reduced.

 

“The stress, inconvenience and impact on personal safety for disabled people cannot be exaggerated. Government and local authorities could make a big difference if they focused on this,” he added.

 

Walking charity Living Streets endorsed the campaign and said the issue of parking across dropped kerbs affects many pedestrians. Spokesperson Kathryn Shaw said: “Parents with buggies and people with sight loss also expect kerbs to be free of vehicles. Dropped kerbs are there for a reason and people can be put off walking if they are blocked.”

 

Minister for Disabled People, Health & Work Penny Mordaunt said: “It is really important that disabled people have the same access as everyone else and, by being more considerate, motorists can play a big part in achieving this. We have already made parking across dropped kerbs illegal but I fully support DisabledGo’s campaign to raise awareness of this issue.”