‘Inconsiderate’ pavement parkers facing £30 fine

‘Inconsiderate’ pavement parkers facing £30 fine

12 November 2025

LOCAL police are backing a new government initiative aimed at tackling “inconsiderate” pavement parking which can land drivers with a £30 fine.

Several weeks after local officers raised their concern about the impact of parking on people with mobility issue and families with prams in particular, a Stormont minister has confirmed tougher new laws are to be introduced to address the issues.

Liz Kimmins – who is is charge of the Department for Infrastructure – plans to ban people parking wholly on pavements, across pavements with ped kerbs used for pedestrian access and double parking.

She said “too many drivers fail to realise the consequences of their actions when their vehicle blocks the footway” and she plans to act.

Several weeks ago, Downpatrick police highlighted the parking issue in a social media post in a response to local concern.

Officers reminded motorists of their responsibilities when parking their vehicles following a number of complaints from local residents. 

They said vehicles parked on a footpath, whether within a housing development or along a road, if the vehicle is parked in such a way as to force pedestrians and other pavement users onto the road to get past, then it is causing an obstruction. 

In addition, officers say vehicles parked within 15 metres of a junction pose an obstruction, especially to sight lines for emerging vehicles and their drivers. 

“Both offences carry a fixed penalty of £30 so please be considerate to other road users and pedestrians,” the post added.

Ms Kimmins said the new legislation bans vehicles parking with all four wheels on a pavement, parking across dropped kerbs for pedestrian access and a ban on double parking.

“Inconsiderate pavement parking has a significant adverse impact in many areas. Unfortunately, too many drivers fail to realise the consequences of their actions when their vehicle blocks the footway,” she said.

“A vehicle parked fully on a pavement creates serious and often dangerous barriers for pedestrians, forcing people to step out onto the road into oncoming traffic. This poses a safety risk particularly for people with disabilities, older people, children and people pushing prams.”

The DfI minister said her department has been exploring a number of options that could be taken forward as positive measures to address inconsiderate pavement parking.  

She explained the new legislation will complement the steps already taken to address the ongoing issue of inconsiderate pavement parking, including introducing legislation to prohibit parking on footways alongside bus lanes, bus stops, cycle lanes and mandatory ‘school keep clear’ markings, encouraging parking compliance across the road network through the promotion of the ‘think before you park’ initiative.

Ms Kimmins said her officials will now take forward work to develop the necessary secondary legislation to introduce these new measures.

She added: “I would remind all drivers of the importance of parking responsibly and legally and to consider the potential negative impact of their actions on other road, footway and cycle lane users.”

Terry McCorry, chairman of the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee, said inconsiderate parking on the pavement and the blocking of dropped kerbs create hazards for disabled people and others that prevent us making day to day journeys.

He said his organisation very much welcomes the changes announced by Ms Kimmins as a “significant step forward in tackling the issue”.

In 2023, the Department for Infrastructure introduced a ban on pavement parking in some specific locations such as footpaths beside bus or cycle lanes.

Vehicles parked on a footpath that are causing an obstruction can be dealt with by police.