Councillors Call for Action on Parked Vehicles Blocking Dropped Kerbs in Torfaen

COUNCILLORS want action taken on parked vehicles blocking dropped kerbs intended to help people in wheelchairs or with pushchairs cross roads. 
Members of Torfaen Borough Council’s cleaner communities scrutiny committee were told the council’s enforcement officers have the power to issue fixed penalty notices to vehicles parked across the access points. 
Pontnewydd councillor Stuart Ashley said: “Every time I look at a dropped kerb there seems to be car parked across them.” 
The Labour member wondered if it would be possible to put “some form of physical barrier up to make it more difficult to park across” and acknowledged it isn’t always “obvious” to drivers where the kerb has been lowered. 
Mark Thomas, the council’s head of highways, said ‘H bar’ marking can be painted on the road and added: “Some areas have looked at trialIing bollards but we’ve got to be mindful of the impact on the disabled community, especially the partially sighted.” 
Councillors raised concerns at how illegal parking can be reported to the council and officers said it isn’t possible to respond immediately to complaints but said that information would be used to inform patrols. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​