Legally parked but is it safe?

As a volunteer with Halesworth Area Community Transport, I would like to politely inform everyone who parks their vehicles on the streets in Halesworth and Holton, that vehicles parked there often do not leave enough room for the 511 Hoppa bus to get past. 

It's a shame that the reaction to this information by some has been to shoot the messenger but this is not being done for the convenience of the bus but for the safety of the whole community. The obstruction of the bus route is just the canary in the coal mine. 

Even though cars and vans may be legally parked and other cars can get past; there is often not enough room for the Hoppa minibus to pass, especially on bends. The Halesworth Hoppa minibus is 2.3 metres wide. Fire engine builder John Dennis & Co states that a fire engine is usually 2.55 metres wide. Several fire services ask for 10 feet/3 metres clearance. Therefore if the minibus can't get through, a fire engine can't get through.

The Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service Protection Team who look after the legislative side tell me the national guidance is to ensure a width of 3.7 metres between kerbs in a new development or 3.1 metres between gateposts to allow a fire engine adequate access.

Compounding this; there have been numerous instances of supermarket and trade delivery vehicles double parking and preventing the bus from passing or holding up the schedule. This issue equally applies to the service HACT provides the Halesworth Day Centre.

There have been near-fatalities in towns such as Brighton when fire engines have been delayed by legally but inconsiderately parked cars. In these situations, seconds save lives. 

The town of Southwold nearby found congestion of its high street intolerable. But rather than deal with the inconsiderate parking that was blocking the passage of buses, which thus blocked other traffic like deliveries, it took the dramatic step of banning buses from the town so inconveniencing many residents who depended on buses. There is little evidence that inconsiderate parking in the town has been reduced. In all likelihood it has increased because cars have more convenient access. A photograph of a 4X4 brazenly parked on the pavement to avoid yellow lines was recently published in the community newspaper as a "typical" example of the thoughtlessness of drivers.

Much of the centre of Halesworth dates from the era of horse transport and when the surrounding estates were laid out; car ownership was a fraction of what it is now.  Vehicles were smaller then. Compare a Morris Minor to the people carriers and SUVs of today. The Morris 1000 is 1.51 metres wide. A modern Transit van is 2.38 metres wide. Demand for on-street parking has increased as households commonly have two or three cars.

Many of the residential areas in Halesworth are free of yellow lines so many of these narrow roads can have cars legally parked on them on both sides causing a potential obstruction. 

HACT have tried to leave polite notes on vehicles but this has led to its volunteers being intimidated by angry drivers. One local resident obviously regards this request as HACT's selfish interest, stating online: "the whole of Halesworth doesn't revolve around the local hopper bus [sic] and if a fire engine were to come I'm sure the delivery driver would move the vehicle a lot quicker than they do for your bus."

The police would now prefer HACT report to them any instances of obstruction by calling 101. HACT will log and report obstructions.

The legal side of it isn't complex; contrary to the opinion of the man in the pub, nobody has the right to park outside their house. While a vehicle might be parked legally because there are no restrictions indicated, there are several kinds of offence of obstructing the highway when other vehicles cannot pass. These can be invoked when people put crates or wheelbarrows in the road to 'save' a parking spot as well. It is also an offence to obstruct an emergency worker which carries a £5000 fine. So if you have parked on the highway and an emergency vehicle responding to a call cannot pass, you could be committing an offence.

In many instances of obstruction the bus could just squeeze through if the bus drove onto the pavement but this is stressful and inappropriate (if not illegal) with a bus full of passengers and the buses have been damaged several times doing this. The Road Traffic Act 1991 makes it an offence to use, cause or permit to be used, a vehicle - when the purpose for which its being used - involves a danger of injury to any person. It should be said that the bus is operated by volunteers and anything that makes their job harder is a factor in recruitment and retention of volunteers.

The situation is not helped when people know they are going to obstruct the highway if they park on the road so park obstructing the footway. This is just as unacceptable as this causes pedestrians to walk into the road.

In HACT committee meetings over the last six months it has been reported that instances of this are now so frequent that if the problem can't be sorted out in a friendly community way; the answer will be to apply to change the route so the bus doesn't serve all of Halesworth and Holton or apply to the respective agencies to have parking restrictions introduced.

Neither of these options is really wanted. These are last resorts. What will be tried first is raising awareness. All the road users can get along, all it takes is just a little courtesy for each other. What is happening here seems like a case of the 'social solidarity' in the community being eroded by people competing for scarce resources; that is the parking available. It isn't feasible to demolish houses to make roads so that people can park on them so we need to me more imaginative in finding a solution.

It is essential for Halesworth's economic vitality that the town can be accessed by cars and deliveries. None of the problem spots are near businesses or involve regular deliveries but it is also essential for that that people can use the bus and the bus can keep to its schedule. The Halesworth Hoppa runs at an average 88% capacity. Inconsiderate parking affects traders and businesses in the town too.

HACT hope that word of mouth will be effective with local residents. If the public can be empowered and have the courage to politely inform drivers on the impact of their actions, this will greatly help. If a fear of verbal or online abuse by the selfish is allowed to rule, everyone suffers.

Having yet more signage and line painting is unsightly and expensive and it detracts from the pleasant character of the area. It is hoped that enough community spirit remains in the town for the public to self-police this issue for their own safety. 

A leaflet campaign focussing on the trouble spots has been suggested but I think the whole community can and should self-police this problem because if cars are successfully moved from the most frequent trouble spots, it may just move the problem somewhere else.

While the ignorant objector may claim the chances of blocking an emergency vehicle are relatively low, the consequences of losing that bet are unacceptable. They don't realise or don't care to know that the more likely instances of inconsiderate parking have a cumulative effect on the quality of life for everyone in the community. 

The 511 bus is allowed to go 250 yards off the registered route at the driver's discretion to pick up/drop off disabled passengers and this saturates Halesworth and Holton but there are now many 'no-go' areas that volunteer drivers won't offer this service. 

There have already been several scrapes and damage to buses when drivers have attempted to pass and they have grounded the bus on kerbs damaging the access steps or have broken wing mirrors. As a non-profit community transport operator HACT cannot afford this to continue. It hurts in maintenance costs, insurance premiums and reputation in the community.

Rather than demand draconian enforcement, HACT consider there is an opportunity here to build some social capital and engage with communities about public safety and consideration for others. An information campaign about the impact of inconsiderate (though legal) parking might benefit all the Community Transport Operators in Suffolk, encourage neighbours to look out for the elderly/vulnerable and engage with the Suffolk Constabulary and Fire Service about reporting obstructions. I should stress we don't want to see the community adopt Russia's solution to inconsiderate parking or go as far as the mayor of Vilnius.

The traditional process of community resolution of 'Ubuntu' is followed by communities in eastern, central and southern Africa. The idea is that all humans are interdependent. We are human because we belong, participate and share in our society. In Ubuntu societies, maintaining positive social relations is a collective task in which everyone is involved. A key component of promoting peace and social solidarity which can be drawn from the Ubuntu tradition is the public participation in the peace-building process, as it promotes social solidarity, and support to both victims (the community) and perpetrators (the inconsiderate driver) as they go through the difficult process of making peace.

There are a number of factors specific to Halesworth to consider, such as the local media, that influence this choice of strategy. Halesworth has a 'Community News' which is distributed widely but it has no editorial content so the only way to ensure inclusion is by paid advertising. The Holton Post delivered in the parish does have editorial content but very limited space. Having a message on the back of the HACT buses is being considered though it has a cost of a few hundred pounds, and a leaflet campaign would similarly have a cost and would require the involvement of the Fire Service and Constabulary.

Station manager Mick Daniels of Moor Street fire station in Burton-on-Trent told residents: 

“A fire engine is approximately three metres wide and to comfortably pass parked vehicles, a four metre gap is required.

“We find the streets surrounding schools, are frequent problem areas. All we ask is that you consider where you’re parking your vehicle — have a check around before you leave it: can a fire engine get past easily?

Don’t park on street corners and try to avoid parking parallel to another car on the opposite side of the road. I’m sure if people took a second to think about it, they wouldn’t want to be the reason for delaying a fire engine in an emergency.”

Tesco and Ocado have been contacted and have promised to inform their drivers in the area. Suffolk County Councillors, Halesworth Town Council, Holton Parish Council, Suffolk Fire & Rescue and Suffolk Constabulary have been contacted for suggestions and comment which will be distributed to the management committee of HACT.

In the meantime, if you see any vehicles parked in a way that you think a fire engine can't pass them please call 101 and report it. It might save a life.

Update October 23, 2013 

http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/bungay_suspicious_car_fire_extinguished_by_fire_and_rescue_1_2914244

Quaves Lane, Bungay

Bungay: Suspicious car fire extinguished by Fire and Rescue

Police have been informed after a car fire was put out in Bungay overnight.
The car was found to be well alight by the crew of a fire engine from the town sent to the incident in Quaves Lane at about 20 past midnight.
Two hosereels were used to extinguish the blaze by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus.
The crew were back at Bungay Fire Station by 1.49am. Police have been informed due to “suspicious ignition”.
The fire service have also reminded the public to park cars with consideration to the emergency services.
The crew attending the above fire were delayed in reaching it due to poorly parked cars.
Members of the public should always leave enough space for emergency vehicles such as fire engines and ambulances to pass when parking their cars on the side of the road.