Drivers parking on pavements threaten the safety of pedestrians but are going unpunished, writes editor James Cracknell

I could scarcely believe my eyes.
I had just come out of a hardware shop in Enfield Town, when a white van pulls up at a pedestrian crossing. But the driver is not stopping to let people across – instead he veers on to the pavement, completely blocking access to the crossing.
After snapping a photo, I confront the driver. He pleads ignorance, saying someone said he could park there as he dropped something off. I tell him he’s breaking the law and ask how he could not even notice the crossing? As we argue the shopkeeper comes out to see what the fuss is all about, and thankfully persuades the driver to move on.
It is clear to me that pavement parking in Enfield has become an epidemic. It’s true that the installation of cycle lanes, more crossings and other things like rain gardens have reduced the amount of street parking available on our high streets, but there is no excuse for breaking the law and endangering the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, who are the most vulnerable road users.
How and why are drivers able to get away with it?
The problem is that unless drivers are caught in the act by enforcement officers directly themselves, they will almost certainly not be issued penalty notices. As members of the public, we can try to gather our own evidence and send it to the council, but the likelihood of action being taken is slim to none.
When I reported nearly three years ago on the problem of cars parking in the cycle lanes along Hertford Road, at Enfield Wash, the council said it would be working to enforce the law using new powers to stop drivers using cycle lanes.
I returned to Enfield Wash this weekend, on my bike, and had to dodge seven cars in the cycle lane just to travel about 25 metres.
In the next edition of Enfield Dispatch I want to shame these drivers and highlight the extent of the problem to the council. As readers, I am asking for your help.
Throughout February, if you see a vehicle illegally parked on the pavement or in a cycle lane, take a picture and capture the registration number. Email the evidence to me at [email protected] and I will publish as many of these pictures as I can in the March issue of the paper.
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