Peterborough guide dog owner calls for more to be done to stop pavement parking

Linda Parsons, 63, from Peterborough, has raised this issue after The Department for Transport (DfT) published a consultation on Monday setting out three options to tackle pavement parking.

Linda has been partnered with her guide dog, Chips, for four and a half years. She suffers with a sight condition called Aniridia, which causes absence of the iris, usually in both eyes.

Linda said: “Pavement parking is extremely frustrating for me as a guide dog owner.

“People park their cars in such a way that they end up completely blocking the path, leaving me with no choice but to walk, with Chips, in the road.

“On one occasion there were four cars parked consecutively on the pavement, so I had to walk in the road for longer than usual with traffic trailing behind me.

“Not only is this dangerous, but it means the routes I can walk end up becoming restricted because of parked cars.”

Linda, who lives near a school, says the problem is only going to get worse with most schools re-opening this week.

She added: “Being near a school makes the problem worse in my area.

“Some drivers are very impatient and will just park anywhere, blocking the road and pavement.

“I try to avoid going out between 8.15am and 9am because I know the number of parked cars will make it hard for myself and Chips to walk anywhere safely.

“Drivers should count their blessings that they can see. “I’d ask people to please park your car responsibly and think of the pedestrians who need to use the pavement.”

Blanche Shackleton, head of policy, public affairs and campaigns at Guide Dogs, said: “For many people with sight loss, cars and vans parked on the pavement

make our streets stressful and dangerous to navigate. At any time, you might be forced out into the road with traffic that you cannot see. When every journey is an ordeal, simply going out independently can become daunting.”

To read more about how sight loss charity Guide Dogs is campaigning on the issue of pavement parking, visit: https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-

help/campaigning/our-current-campaigns/streets-ahead