Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Selfish driving is endemic in village

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How right is Alison Hitchins in her letter ‘Tradesmen blocking our paths with vans’ (The Village March 2014).

It has been a minor annoyance for a long time but the problem has now become endemic across Alvechurch and, I suspect, other residential areas. It is not only tradesmen but also residents and their visitors who should know better.

Parking on the footpath is illegal and very inconsiderate to the most vulnerable in our society.

The elderly, infirm and mothers with babies and small children are being forced to walk or manoeuvre their prams and mobility scooters into the road so these selfish road (or should that be pavement?) hogs avoid having to walk a few steps from an acceptable parking place.

Do we need to beg for a visit from parking wardens to hand out a few fines before the message gets through?

Vehicles should be parked in the road where it is safe and allowed or in a designated parking bay. If you have tradesmen delivering to or working at your house you could help by making sure they are not parking illegally.

Parking in the road does have the added bonus that it slows down other motorists, as speeding through the village is another illegal and selfish habit some motorists have developed.

Some drivers seem to forget all they have learnt as soon as the L-plates are removed.

Too many drivers seem to think driving at the speed limit is mandatory even if the road conditions are not suitable. And, of course, speed limits do not apply to them – or is there another reason why some drivers tailgate when you are already travelling at the limit?

Our other major problem in Alvechurch is lorries and their sat-navs. The Village featured the lorry that came to grief on the canal bridge at the top of Callow Hill Road. Why was the driver using this route and where was the lorry going?

There are clear weight restrictions as you enter the village – though the canal and railway bridges could be more prominently signed so residents don’t have to put up with a succession of juggernauts having to reverse when they realise the signs did mean the road was unsuitable for their vehicle.

How do we claim our villages back as residential areas? 

Janet Wright, via email