60 school bollards vs pavement parking

The installation of 60 bollards to protect a stretch of pavement outside a primary school in Birmingham has been described as barmy in the media this week. However, if you've ever walked a child to school you'll have discovered that no amount of yellow lines, polite emails from the head or near-misses will prevent drivers from parking as near as possible to the gates - and frequently on the pavement.

When asked about the cluster of 60 bollards, a local resident seemingly oblivious to why the bollards might be necessary, told the Telegraph that since their installation, "Delivery drivers have also been unable to park up and I hear parents have had difficulties too."

The simple fact is that Birmingham City Council was forced to act. Such was the persistence of drivers, who ignored the presence of the school, double yellow lines and a bus stop to park on the pavement, that city chiefs responded in the only way they could.

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Pavement Parking - Countermeasures

It feels like the successive governments have been talking about making pavement parking illegal for decades. We've lost count of how many consultations have come and gone. But with schools around the country effectively under siege from pavement parking, we devised a fictional device designed to be installed along kerbs that quickly punctures tyres.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0moP21omQXc&feature=youtu.be

Catclaw is the size of half a small orange and was designed to be installed in its thousands along kerbs and pavements. When a car or lorry drives over a CatClaw, its weight exposes a sharp steel tube that quickly punctures the tyre. However, it poses no threat to pedestrians - a person standing on top of the device would not be heavy enough to activate it.

Catclaw is an extreme idea that is unlikely to be practicable, or even legal. Other than the sharpened spike hidden within, what, you may ask, is it's point. The purpose of the project is to highlight the plight of the 40-plus people killed each year on pavements in Britain by drivers and the many thousands of pedestrians every day who have their path blocked.

The project allowed us to talk at some length about the need to radically alter the way we tackle road danger in all its forms. The project appeared on television and in The Daily Mail, The Express, The Mirror, Metro, The Manchester Evening News and been viewed over 135,000 times on YouTube.

The systematic approach to road danger reduction Britain so badly needs will not rely on Catclaw or anything as outlandish. As has happened in countries like Sweden, it involves placing needs of people ahead of cars. The benefits are numerous, but include safer roads, reduced healthcare costs, greater independence for children and increased quality of life for all. However, change of this kind can occur only once people - as opposed to politicians - consider it vital. And that process starts with getting it talked about. Please watch the film we made about road danger and share.

https://vimeo.com/361286029

With the exception of London - where a ban already exists - only lorries are currently prevented from parking on pavements. The solution to pavement parking isn't endless consultations, public information campaigns or silly gimmicks, it's a simple change to the law to allow local authorities to enforce the obvious: Pavements are for people.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.

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