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Widened pavements tempt motorists
(March 06, 2012)An Athenaeum
'walk-on' part set the scene for a 'Brief Encounter' between a motorist
on the 'Road to Perdition' and a police officer drawn away from more
serious duties highlighting the continual problem faced by a market
town.
"I was called in by a
disabled resident to deal with a car that had parked on the pavement on a
dropped kerb which on any other day than Sunday would have put a lot of
our less mobile residents at considerable risk," explains Paul
Macdonald.
"When I got there an unmarked police car was on the scene and the driver was shortly going to drive off."
"It is important that we
illustrate that dropped kerbs and yellow lines are there for a reason as
there is a danger to others such as mums with pushchairs as well.
"This was not an appropriate place to abandon a car and walk-on even if the explanation turns out to be innocent!"
This is just the latest
example of a very unofficial 'off street parking' permission that
appears to exist in Warminster since the depletion of on street parking.
All sorts of motorists
ranging from Security vans outside banks to the plain lazy now drive on
to the pavement where the parking bays used to exist most notably in the
Market Place.
A two-year disruption to local shopkeepers and residents
saw wider pavements paid for at enormous public expense but little
commercial foresight is another claim.
"Doing away with almost all twenty
minute 'pop-in-and-shop' as I call it parking space means we may never
again revive the very heart of our town centre with historic shops like
Payne's except for the plain lazy who ignore the rules anyway," adds
Paul.
"As a passer-by said 'it is done and nothing can be done
about it just like the Assembly Rooms so get on with it!' I thought
that sums up the resignation that is sweeping across Warminster."
"Can this attitude be changed was my other thought? Time to stand up and be counted!"