Shropshire Star

Careless parking in Oswestry ‘putting lives at risk’

A former police and fire officer has claimed a town's parking problems are getting out of hand.

Published
College Road, Oswestry. Picture: Google

Garth Jones said emergency services struggle to get through streets in Oswestry on which cars line both sides.

He also said motorists are parking on blind bends, junctions and on pavements in some places.

He wants to see more double yellow lines on potential accident black spots and more enforcement where the lines are being flaunted.

Shropshire Council said work could start putting double yellow lines down in some areas within weeks.

Now retired, Mr Jones, 73, from Oswestry, served in two of the 999 services.

"There are places in Oswestry, for example, College Road, where vehicles are parked on both sides leaving very little room to get through. It must hinder fire engines even though they have blue lights," he said.

Mr Jones said some of the biggest problems are on the Whittington Road, close to the railway bridge, at Unicorn Road junction, and on the town's Welsh Walls road.

"Motorists park on Welsh Walls so close to junctions that it is dangerous for drivers emerging from the junctions," he said.

"The problem is so bad on the Whittington Road by the bridge, I am surprised there has not been an accident there. I think there should be yellow lines along that road.

"It is not surprising that more and more cyclists had started using the pavements to cycle on, even though it is against the law. It is the safest option."

The pensioner, who has been driving all his adult life, said the other major change he had seen was people parking on the pavement in residential areas.

"Drivers just don't park half on and half off the pavement, some are now parking fulling on the pavement outside their home," he said.

"Wherever I have lived I have always built a driveway so the car can be off the road. How do pedestrians and mobility scooters manage?"

Shropshire councillor, Paul Milner, said he had contacted highways officer as a matter of urgency to find out progress on a number of requests from the town council for schemes to stop bad parking in Oswestry.

"I am pleased to say that the proposed Traffic Regulation Order for the introduction of double yellow lines on both sides of Morda Road, on Welsh Walls and on Jennings Road, have been approved for implementation and arrangements are being made with our contractor for the double yellow lines to be put down," he said.

He said the Shropshire Council highways department would also contact West Mercia police about the problems of cars parking on pavements.