Oldham is called a pavement parking ‘problem area’

In a press release, the transport agency said Oldham is a ‘problem area’, with people parking too close to the tram tracks between Oldham King Street and Oldham Central tram stops.

According to TfGM, there have been at least 13 incidents of Metrolink services being disrupted or service changes being needed because trams have been blocked by poor parking since January – causing delays.

Other key hot spots for problem parking include Manchester’s Curry Mile, the A6 in Levenshulme, Oxford Road, and Fairfield Street, with several contraventions each week causing severe delays for scheduled bus services, car drivers and pedestrians.

In Oldham, pavement parking has caused issues, with bin collections cancelled and one local firefighter criticising ‘inconsiderate parking’ having a ‘massive impact’ on response times.

In the consultation for the scrapped Chadderton and Westwood Active Neighbourhood, 54 respondents used the "additional comments" section to raise their concerns about pavement parking in the area.

Prior to the 2023 Oldham local election, some candidates said they would support a ban on the practice - though others said they were undecided.

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TfGM said illegal pavement parking is a ‘significant issue which creates unacceptable barriers for people using the pavement’.

Transport Commissioner voices concerns

Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “A poorly or illegally parked car can cause a ripple effect that affects a lot more people that you might think – whether that’s other motorists, people on a tram or bus or those walking, wheeling, or scooting.

“We are working hard to encourage more people to get on board with public transport and active travel through the transformational Bee Network and reducing some of the causes of congestion is key to that, especially enabling us to improve the reliability of bus services.

“We are looking at a range of measures, including lane rentals and red route schemes on certain key corridors, but people can help make a difference right now by simply taking a moment to think about how their parking might affect other people.”

Transport Commissioner Vernon Everitt (Image: TfGM)

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Mayor wants to do more

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has recently written to Transport Secretary Mark Harper to seek help with implementing lane rental and tackling illegal pavement parking.

Lane rentals are designed to incentivise those carrying out road works to minimise disruption and limit the amount of time they take by applying a daily charge.

Other options being explored in Greater Manchester include red routes, which prohibit parking along key routes, allowing for more free-flowing traffic.

TfGM said it ‘wants to work together with Government to make it easier to tackle illegal pavement parking through more devolved powers’.

Concerns over the impact of pavement parking on pedestrians, especially children and disabled people, have been repeatedly raised.

Consultation results still not released

The Department for Transport ran a nationwide consultation on pavement parking in 2020, asking people whether a London-style prohibition on pavement parking should be introduced throughout England.

Other options included changes to allow local authorities to deal with the parking under civil powers, or to improve Traffic Regulations to allow authorities to prohibit pavement parking in certain areas.

However, the results of the consultation have still not been released.

In a parliamentary debate on pavement parking in March, then-transport minister Richard Holden said the Government is “determined to ensure that disabled people have the same access to transport as everyone else and that they can travel easily, with confidence and without extra cost.”

If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Oldham. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk or click to send me a message on WhatsApp or on Signal on 07517566383.