| Motorists
are being urged to think carefully
Although
drivers can park for free in pay and display bays and resident bays on
a bank holiday, yellow line waiting restrictions and loading restrictions
will still be in force.
Yellow lines have been introduced at locations where parked vehicles could
be dangerous or cause an obstruction by blocking sight lines for pedestrians
and other road users.
Motorists who leave their cars in bays that are only available for part
of the day should ensure that they do not park there whilst the yellow
line waiting restrictions are in force. These parking bays are mainly
found in bus lanes, and have yellow lines operating during morning and
afternoon peak hours.
Technical services director William Myers said: "Some motorists believe
that it's okay to park on a single yellow line on a bank holiday. I'm
afraid this is not the case and hasn't been for about 20 years.
The question drivers must ask themselves when they're thinking about parking
on a yellow line is 'would this restriction be in force on any other ordinary
Monday?' If the answer is yes then they shouldn't park there if they want
to avoid getting a ticket.
In Wandsworth, all yellow line restrictions remain in force on bank holidays
- keeping junctions clear of parked vehicles and maintaining vehicular
access to off-street parking spaces is just as important on a bank holiday
as any other day.
"Generally speaking drivers can check when the yellow line restrictions
operate by looking at the yellow signs that are attached to adjacent posts
and lamposts. These will tell you the days of the week and the hours of
the day when waiting or parking is prohibited.
The only exception to this is when yellow lines are located within a controlled
parking zone. The hours of operation of both the bays and yellow lines
are shown on the zone entry signs and if there is no yellow sign next
to the line then the hours of restriction are the same as those in the
surrounding parking bays. Of course double yellow lines mean that no parking
is allowed at any time."
It is also illegal to park in front of dropped kerbs where there are no
yellow lines. These facilities - which are found on virtually every street
corner - ensure that disabled pedestrians and parents with pushchairs
can safely cross the road. The same rules apply at driveways leading to
off-street parking places.
August 26, 2005
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