South Street Motorists Put Mothers, Babies and Children at Risk

This is not the first time Wincanton Window has reported on the chaos and gridlock in South Street, Wincanton. Motorists parking on double yellow lines outside Natwest Bank, sometimes on the pavement itself, are a familiar sight, causing gridlock in the traffic backing up behind them and danger to pedestrians who are forced into the road to get around the parked vehicles.

These photos were taken on the afternoon of Thursday 10 May 2012. Traffic was heavy and parents were picking up young children from school.

This mother and her baby found themselves stuck as they tried to jiggle their pushchair through the narrow gap left by this flat-bed truck parked up on the pavement. They eventually had to give up and wiggle back the way they had come. They had no option but to walk into the road to get around the truck.

The family suffered no worse fate than grimy smears where the baby had brushed by the truck, but it could have been a very different story. Immediately behind the flat-bed truck another vehicle was parked, a Vauxhall, with all four wheels on the road this time but still blatantly flouting the double-yellow lines.

A few minutes later more children were spilling out of school. Traffic in South Street was heavy, not unusual at this time of day. Space on the pavement outside Natwest Bank was even more limited as people queued to use the cash-point machine. Parents and children again took to the road to get around the truck.

At the very same time this hazardous parking was causing havoc to young families, a white van belonging to Northbrook Building Contractors was parked almost completely on the pavement outside the Town Hall, on the corner of South Street. Pedestrians could squeeze through the gap left by the van, but again, pushchairs or wheelchair users would have found it necessary to walk into the road to get around it. The potential consequences of this are unthinkable on this blind corner with vehicles turning into South Street from Market Place and also converging from the High Street.

No doubt Northbrook's workers would say that there's no practical alternative to parking this way when working in such a location but that doesn't make it any less potentially dangerous for pedestrians.

Copies of all these photos were forwarded to local police and their comments invited. PCSO Dan Arthur replied that the information had been passed to the Wincanton Neighbourhood Beat Team for their information, adding a request for future incidents of this nature: "Please contact us at the time of the issue on the '101' number - particularly for incidents similar to this. Calling our control room will enable officers who are on duty at the time to be made aware of the issue and attend to resolve accordingly in a more timely manner."

It's time this problem was given some serious thought. Breaches of parking regulations in this spot are so common-place now that you'd need a traffic warden on permanent duty there to change people's habits. Narrow the road, remove the cash-point machine or put up CCTV and actually prosecute offenders - before someone gets hurt.

Comments

jograffham
Posts: 1

Re: South Street Motorists Put Mothers, Babies and Children at Risk
Reply #1 on : Tue May 15, 2012, 14:33:16

---

it is myself and my baby in the above pictures, and i have this problem all the time!!!! it is so dangerous having to push your pram out into the road as you can not see what is coming as cars are coming from round a bend, there are frequently cars parked on the pavement infront of the bank and it is double yellow lines!!! why do motorists think that a double yellow line makes it ok to park on the pavement!!!!!

Victor Meldrew
Posts: 3

Re: South Street Motorists Put Mothers, Babies and Children at Risk
Reply #2 on : Tue May 15, 2012, 21:36:04

---

I know that this ongoing problem has been reported several times via the Town Council in the last 5 years. The trouble is the parking is now a civil (County) problem and the police are reluctant to deal. To be fair rhe local beat team have more thsn enough to do as it is. We need more police, and perhaps a VISIBLE Sgt!! By the way, who blanked out the offending numberplates?

Last Edit: May 15, 2012, 21:37:30 by Victor Meldrew  

Victor Meldrew
Posts: 3

Re: South Street Motorists Put Mothers, Babies and Children at Risk
Reply #3 on : Tue May 15, 2012, 21:52:30

---

It seems there is a group on Facebook for Disabled Parking Violations, perhaps posting the ofending veh numbers on there may be an idea.

johnbaxter
Posts: 2

Chaos in South Street
Reply #4 on : Thu May 17, 2012, 15:14:11

---

This is just going on and on as our article last year shows. No comments from the town councillors, no comment from our district councillors, no comment from our county councillor and self-serving comments from the police. It is only the highways authority that can do anything about widening the road so who is keeping on and on at them to do their job? No-one it seems. Also who is responsible for letting the Nat West Bank have their hole in the wall? District or Town? Close the ATM and widen the road and the problem would be solved, until that happens these snarl-ups will just go on and on as often several times a day the whole town suffers gridlock and sooner or later someone is going to get hurt.

Last Edit: May 18, 2012, 11:22:11 by johnbaxter  

Victor Meldrew
Posts: 3

Re: South Street Motorists Put Mothers, Babies and Children at Risk
Reply #5 on : Thu May 17, 2012, 21:18:04

---

On road parking responsibility was passed from the police to local auhorities. But I have seen in the past police Vihe ignoring the fact that parking on the double yellow lines in South St was an obvious obstruction and a traffic violation! What price the `invisible` Sgt,and not forgetting the Inspector!

johnbaxter
Posts: 2

Later this evening 8.45pm
Reply #6 on : Thu May 17, 2012, 23:09:52

---

Driving back from a meeting I came up against the Berry's London to Taunton coach stuck outside the Town Hall. Two cars were pulled up by the Nat West Bank making it impossible for the coach to pass. We waited until the first car had finished at the ATM and had driven off. The coach was then able to inch past the second car. When I passed it I saw there was no driver inside. Nice.

surbrice
Posts: 1

Re: South Street Motorists Put Mothers, Babies and Children at Risk
Reply #7 on : Mon May 21, 2012, 17:10:04

---

As a mother of five children I am having the same problem with people thinking it's ok to park on pavements, Do these drivers not think of the danger to people lives by parking on the pavements and blocking it so they have to cross rd near the bank which is a dangerous place to cross in wincanton!!! this is not something that happens on the odd time but happens daily!! its even harder when you have a pram/buggy to push.

Login to comment!