SIR - The Bradford & District Disabled People’s Forum (BDPF) welcome the launch on Monday August 31 by the Department for Transport (DfT) of the consultation entitled ‘managing pavement parking’, which would ban anti-social parking and give councils greater powers to fine drivers who flout the rules making roads and pathways safer for families and people with disabilities.

Disabled and older people can feel trapped in their homes because there is not enough room on the pavement for wheelchairs or mobility scooters, for many people with sight loss, cars and vans parked on the pavement make our streets stressful and dangerous to navigate. At any time, you might be forced out into the road with traffic that you cannot see.

This has impacted more people during the pandemic, with blocked pavements affecting everyone’s ability to physically distance and when every journey is an ordeal, simply going out independently can become daunting.

We would like to encourage as many people as possible to take part in the consultation which ends on Sunday, November 22, to make our pavements more accessible, by visiting: gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking

Emmerson Walgrove, chairman Bradford & District Disabled People's Forum