AN article in today's Times suggests that local councils might follow the example of London,and make pavement parking subject to a £70 penalty.

This might solve the problem of pedestrians, pram-pushers, and wheelchair users having to walk in the road, due to blocked pavements.

Byrom Street is virtually impossible to walk down using the pavement. A sensible solution that the council could introduce, would be to paint diagonal parking bays down one side, which would be free for residents, but others would pay a parking charge.

This would leave rather more than half the road to provide a one-way thoroughfare, leaving the pavement free for those with prams and wheelchairs.

Such a fine might also prevent what occurred one Saturday. On the footpath in Denmark Street, opposite the Cinema, two large coaches were parked,virtually completely blocking the pavement.

The result was that my wife, in wheelchair, had to go in the road.

The driver sat inside, oblivious to any problem he was causing. When I and a lady who was also trying to get past, pointed out that he was illegally parked, he just said that he had to park somewhere.

It did not occur to him that he could park in the road, which had plenty of space.

A side benefit of stopping pavement parking would be less damage to the pavement, saving the council money, if they ever did anything about the appalling state of pavements!

David Olliver

Altrincham