Request for enforcement of a dropped kerb

Enforcement of dropped kerbs

Those who park their vehicle alongside a dropped kerb in Reading may receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £70.00.

Parking across a dropped or lowered kerb can stop people who need dropped kerbs to cross the road being able to do so. It can also stop people getting their vehicles in and out of their driveways. As per the highway code rule 243.

It may also impact the safety of people:

• with lower levels of mobility
• reliant on mobility aids such as wheelchairs
• who are using a pushchair.

Vehicles must not be parked next to any footway, cycle track or verge that has been dropped or raised to meet the level of the carriageway.

This is especially important when the footway, cycle track or verge has been lowered in order to assist pedestrians crossing the carriageway or assist cyclists or vehicles entering or leaving the carriageway.

Blue Badge holders are not allowed to park at dropped kerbs.

When a kerb is considered to be blocked

A vehicle is considered to be committing a parking contravention where any part of the vehicle is blocking any part along the full length of the dropped kerb. This includes the sloped kerb stones (tapered kerbs).

The only exceptions are where a vehicle is:

• parked in a designated parking bay
• parked outside of a residential premises by or with consent (does not apply to shared driveways, which includes driveways to buildings of multiple occupancy e.g. flats)
• being used by the emergency services
• parked for the purpose of making a delivery (20 minutes max) •parked for the purpose of certain building or maintenance works.

It would not be the council’s policy to issue charge notices to all vehicles parked at dropped kerbs in line with the Secretary of States guidance –

“The purpose of these powers is to help prevent inconsiderate or selfish parking causing congestion and road safety problems. To be effective enforcement action may need to be quite severe and so the power should always be used reasonably and with circumspection. Enforcement action should only be taken if the vehicle is causing or is likely to cause a road safety hazard or obstruction to other road users or pedestrians. Restrictions on situations in which the authority can use these powers mean that they may be more suitable for tackling persistent problems than occasional ones.”

How to report blocked access

If someone has blocked access to a dropped kerb or your driveway and you have a dropped kerb, please complete the report a blocked dropped kerb form.

When completing the request form, you will need to give the following:

• your name
• your address
• confirmation that you are the householder
• email address
• details of the vehicle obstructing your driveway
• time vehicle first observed
• time of report

We need these details so that we can verify that you are the occupier of the property for which enforcement action is being requested. We are unable to enforce without this information.

Once we receive the information we will arrange for a Civil Enforcement Officer to visit the location, when resources allow. They will carry out appropriate enforcement. Please note that we are unable to update you on any action taken due to GDPR rules.

Do not take action yourself as any damage to the vehicle may result in criminal prosecution. Blocking the vehicle in may be classed as obstruction of a public highway.

Whilst not needed to enable enforcement, you can have a white “H” marking painted in front of your dropped kerb to highlight your access. Find out more about Access Protection Markings.