RPS and parking on kerbs letter

Dear Sir

 

As one of the ward councillors for Southville, I was interested to see your article suggesting residents parking may be causing bad parking in Bristol. I have to say, I could make an equal case for a lack of RPZ having just such an effect.

 

We have had RPZ implemented in Southville recently. The streets are much clearer during the day, although just as full, possibly even fuller, in the evenings.

 

I used to regularly see cars parked in Southville which went close corners, or even blocked dropped kerbs. I am aware of one highly respected member of the local community who had to push a family member in a wheelchair down the road because the path was blocked. I have been told of people in wheelchairs who reached a blocked dropped-kerb, and simply had to turn around and go home because they were just stuck.

 

While that problem has predominately gone in Southville, it has become a much bigger issue in the other end of the Southville ward. Ashton – which was excluded from the RPZ rollout – now gets all of the commuter parking that Southville used to get. I have been surveying the area recently to investigate the impact on Ashton, and have both been told – and seen for myself – blocked kerbs, blocked drives and corners which have cars on them. They have the problem that Southville used to have.

 

Indeed I have spoken to parents living in Ashton who are now worried about the safety of their children. It makes it much harder to teach road sense when you struggle to actually get to the road.