MIKE Amesbury has backed calls by a cross-party group of MPs for a ban on pavement parking.  

The practice is already outlawed in London and the transport select committee has criticised government inaction on the issue in a new report.  

Weaver Vale MP Mr Amesbury said: “I’ve been contacted by many constituents over thelast year who’ve raised real concerns about this issue, many of whom use wheelchairs or who are pushing prams and find they’re unable to simply make their way down the street safely.

“While much of our energy has been focused on the national andinternational crisis of Brexit, my postbag reflects the everyday issues andconcerns my constituents face.

“But if such a ban implemented nationwide it needs to be done ina way that’s not too heavy-handed and drivers should be educated about theimpact this kind of parking can have on the elderly and disabled.”  

During its five-month inquiry, the select committee received more than400 written submissions and questioned groups, charities and ministers,including the Alliance of British Drivers, and Guide Dogs.

The panel heard evidence from witnesses who said pavement parking had effectively trapped the disabled, elderly and vulnerable, making them “afraid to leave their homes.”

The report says: “Pavement parking puts pedestriansin danger when they are forced to move into the road to get around a vehicle orwhere there are trip hazards due to damage to the pavement.”

People with mobility or visual impairments are "disproportionately affected", it added.

The Scottish Parliament is currently considering legislation that would ban pavement parking there, while the practice has been outlawed inLondon since 1974.

Stephen Edwards, policy and communications director for Living Streets, said: "Cars parked on pavements force people with wheelchairs, parents with buggies and those living with sight loss into the carriageway and oncoming traffic.

"The committee is right to draw attention to the impact of pavement parking on loneliness.

"Many older adults we speak to feel stuck in their homes because they're not able to navigate their local pavements.

"People continue to be put at risk of injury and isolation with every day of inaction that passes."