Illegally parked vehicles

Parking enforcement of dropped kerbs 

Parking across a dropped kerb is inconsiderate and can prevent residents and businesses from getting their vehicles in or out of their driveways.

It could also prevent people with mobility problems and those with pushchairs from crossing the road safely.

Vehicles must not park on the road adjacent to the footway, cycle track or verge that has been dropped, especially for the purpose of:

• assisting pedestrians crossing the road
• assisting vehicles entering or leaving the off street parking areas such as driveways across the footway, cycle track or verge
• assisting cyclists entering or leaving the road

Those who park their vehicle alongside a dropped kerb in Kingston upon Thames could receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £110.00.

Please note: We will not issue a PCN to a vehicle that is parked across a driveway unless a resident or business has requested enforcement.

We are also unable to issue a parking ticket to a vehicle that is parked in a parking bay, and at the same time is causing an obstruction to a dropped kerb. Vehicles parked wholly within a designated parking place, or any other part of the carriageway where parking is specifically authorised are exempt from dropped kerb enforcement.

When is a vehicle obstructing a dropped kerb?

A vehicle does not have to be fully obstructing the dropped kerb to be committing a parking contravention. If any part of the vehicle is physically over the point where the footway meets the carriageway, this is considered a contravention.

Footway Parking Enforcement

Footway parking is defined as any vehicle parking on any area other than the carriageway, whether it be a grass verge, a footway, kerbstone, a crossover or a central reservation.

Legislation banning footway parking throughout Greater London was made in 1974.  Parking on the footway is not only obstructive to pedestrians, particularly disabled persons such as the blind or wheelchair bound, but is damaging to the footway surface, grass verges and underground services. The responsibility must rest with the motorists to park their vehicles in a safe and legal manner. 

The Highway Code, which is an advisory publication, does state that you should not park your vehicle on a footpath, pavement or cycle track.