Belfast Telegraph

Sunday 16 March 2014

Pavements are being lost to cars and hedges

We need to claim back our pavements now before we lose them completely.

I drew attention to this hostile takeover of our pavements in September 2005 but things have certainly not improved since then.

I walk daily in my area in east Belfast around Upper Newtownards Road, Kings Road, Cabin Hill and Kings Square, and I am thoroughly fed up at having to retire to the road - a dangerous occupation - because our pavements are being occupied by encroaching hedges and parked cars.

Since nothing has been done to restrict cars parking on the pavements, this practice has simply increased, so much so that it appears to have become acceptable to park with all four wheels on the pavement.

As for some hedges, they have gradually overgrown onto the pavements so that squeezing between cars and hedges (which are often wet) is impossible.

Anyone who has children, a pram, a wheelchair, a stick or even shopping bags is forced to step onto the road.

This is a crazy situation.

Pedestrians seem to have become second-class citizens.

Will we end up with something akin to those parts of America where walking is simply not an option - or can something be done about it now?



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