Highways Safety Scheme
The Highway Safety Scheme (All Zones)
Aims:
- To control where it is not safe to park;
- To protect parts of the highway with ‘No Waiting at Any Time’
restrictions for highway safety purposes;
- To protect driver inter-visibility at all junctions and
bends;
- To help pedestrians cross the highway safely;
- To protect access for all vehicle classes, in particular the
emergency services;
- To protect footways and verges from obstruction;
- To provide passing bays at critical locations where
necessary;
- To protect vehicle turning heads.
How it Works:
- Double yellow lines will be placed in the following locations,
where parking would cause a danger or obstruction;
- Junction mouths, where parking would reduce driver
visibility;
- Turning heads, where parking would cause an obstruction to
turning vehicles;
- Sharp bends, where parked vehicles would not be easily
visible;
- Narrow roads, where parking would cause an obstruction.
- The scheme will be enforced by regular patrols conducted by
Ashford Borough Council Parking Attendants.
FAQs
Below are some of the questions that are most frequently asked
of the Parking Service when a new parking control safety scheme is
to be consulted.
Will the scheme include any time specific restrictions?
No. The scheme does not include the placing of any single yellow
lines, it will only deal with double yellow lines indicating no
waiting at any time.
We don't have parking problems, so why include my road?
If we introduce double yellow lines into busy areas to combat
parking abuses, this may encourage the overspill of drivers into
neighbouring areas where there are not double yellow lines to
regulate parking. This means that it may be in your interest to be
part of the new parking scheme rather than just outside of it.
Yellow lines give us less room to park. Why have them?
Yellow lines will not reduce the amount of safe parking spaces
available, they will simply make it clearer where it is or is not
safe to park. Double yellow lines will delineate areas where parked
cars could cause danger, for example at junctions or where parked
cars cause an obstruction. Clear junctions are safer for drivers
and pedestrians and allow cars to turn safely and pedestrians to
cross safely.
Do we have to have signposts and lines?
Unfortunately, to enable a parking scheme to be enforced, it is
necessary to install road markings. However, new regulations now
mean that signs are not required in support of the road markings as
used to be the case, thereby reducing clutter. As part of a new
parking scheme any existing signs will be removed. We are very
conscious of the appearance of the street scene and we will always
try to minimise the visual intrusion of any new proposals. A
positive aspect is that parking schemes can improve the visual
environment by reducing the number of parked vehicles.
Will I still be able to park across my access?
You will be able to park where there are no on-street parking
restrictions. However, in some instances it may be necessary for
highway safety reasons to prevent parking outside people's
driveways or private access roads. For example, someone's driveway
may by close to a road junction or on a very acute bend in the
road. In such circumstances it is important to maintain highway
safety for all road users and prevent vehicles parking at these
locations.
What about enforcement?
Enforcement resources will be deployed as needs demand. For
example, if there was a sustained level of contravention within a
particular street or particular location, then Ashford Borough
Council’s Parking Services will concentrate its resources at these
problem areas.
This webpage was updated on
8/7/2008