Traffic Management FAQ
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions.
What action does the Council take against footway parking?
If there are waiting restrictions (yellow lines) on the highway adjacent to the footway then a Penalty Charge Notice can be issued by the Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers (formerly Traffic Wardens) on any vehicle contravening the waiting restrictions. Waiting restrictions apply from the centre of the carriageway to the back of the adopted footway.
If there are no waiting restrictions on the highway adjacent to the footway then the Council have no powers to take action. The parking of vehicles on the footway is a danger to pedestrians, it also constitutes obstruction of the highway and can lead to damage, which are both offences under The Highways Act 1980. Incidences of such parking should be reported to Greater Manchester Police, for enforcement action to be taken commensurate with their other duties.
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Can anything be done as I am having problems getting onto and off my driveway due to vehicles parking and blocking my drive?
It would not be appropriate for a Traffic Regulation Order to be made to introduce waiting restrictions at the entrance to your drive, as the parking you refer to causes obstruction which is an offence under The Highways Act 1980.
It may be appropriate in the circumstances to introduce entrance protection markings at the entrance to your drive. The road markings are in the form of an elongated ‘H’ placed across the width of the driveway one metre from the kerb line.
The H bar road markings are only advisory markings but they highlight to drivers to keep accesses (driveways) clear.
It is an offence to park across a dropped kerb, which results in a resident being unable to drive on/off their drive. Should this occur our Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) can issue a penalty charge notice, upon the resident's request, on any vehicle parked across the dropped kerb. Please note that the resident's own vehicle is liable to a penalty charge notice if they park across their own dropped kerb. We will endeavour to ensure that a CEO attends the location.
If you are interested in applying for this ‘H bar’ road marking please contact the Traffic Section for an application form to be sent out to you.
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Can I erect a mirror on the highway?
Traffic mirrors cannot be erected on the public highway as they are not approved by the Department for Transport. The main reasons why they are not allowed are as follows:
• Their effectiveness in all weathers is likely to be different;
• They can cause confusion for motorists by providing distorted information;
• They can create difficulties in judging speed and distance of reflected vehicles;
• They can cause problems of glare in strong sunlight;
• They are susceptible to vandalism; and
• Considerable maintenance would be required to keep them completely clean.
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Can I have a disabled driver’s parking bay marked outside my house?
If a resident is disabled, they may apply to have a parking bay marked on the highway outside their home if they meet the following criteria:
• Holds a Blue Badge;
• Owns and drives a car or another member of their family who lives with them owns and drives a car;
• Does not have a driveway, garage or off-street parking place; and
• A safe, legal and suitable location can be marked out.
Please contact the Traffic Section for an application form to be sent out to you or download an application form from our Traffic Management webpage. Disabled bays are only advisory and other drivers may still use them if they wish.
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Could you please erect a 'No Ball Games' sign on the public highway?
The Council is not permitted to erect ‘No Ball Games’ signs on the public highway. All signs erected on the highway must conform to The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002.
However, residents themselves can erect signs on their own land or property on the condition that they meet planning guidelines (signs must be less than 0.3 square metres in area) and do not cause a distraction or road safety hazard to passing motorists.
If a person plays football or other game on the highway, to the annoyance of a user of the highway, they are guilty of an offence under Section 161(3) of The Highways Act 1980. Incidences should therefore be reported to the Police at the time they occur so that appropriate enforcement action can be taken.
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Large vehicles are parking in our residential street can any action be taken
The Council cannot take any action against heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) parking up overnight on the public highway.
However if the HGV’s are over 7.5 tonnes they require an operators licence. This licence is granted to the company by the local Traffic Commissioner and when granted there are a number of conditions attached. One such condition is that the vehicle should be garaged overnight either at its operating centre, or as a visitor to another operating centre or at an approved lorry park.
If you experience problems with HGV’s parking overnight on the highway you can either contact the traffic manager of the company at the details which are usually displayed on the cab door of the vehicle with the nature of the complaint, the registration number of the vehicle and the time and dates or contact the North Western Traffic Commissioner at the contact details below:
Beverley Bell
Suite 4
Stone Cross Place
Stone Cross Lane
Golborne
Warrington
WA3 2SH
Tel: 0300 123 9000
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Parents are parking in our street to drop off/pick up their children from school and the sheer volume of traffic at these times is causing problems
Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to the traffic problems that occur outside the entrances to schools. Undoubtedly, the numbers of vehicles that stop near every other school throughout the Borough at the start and finish of the school day, will belong to the parents/guardians of the children that attend the school. Indeed, it has been established that between 20-25% of national peak hour traffic can be attributed to school trips. The Government and Local Authorities are aware of the problems that such traffic causes in terms of congestion, pollution and parking and undoubtedly, schemes will be implemented through future School Travel Plans, to encourage parents to allow their children to walk or cycle to school through this initiative.
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People are parking on the road outside my house and taking my parking space
Nobody has the right to park on the road outside their own home, although we fully sympathise with the desire to do so, in this respect local residents have no more legal rights than any other motorist whose vehicle is legally roadworthy.
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Vehicles are double parking on my street and causing an obstruction?
The double parking of vehicles on the carriageway constitutes obstruction of the highway, which is an offence under The Highways Act 1980, and incidences of such parking should be reported to Greater Manchester Police, for enforcement action to be taken commensurate with their other duties.
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