Sunderland Parking Shambles will cost someone's life

As mentioned in the post below but one the time has come for the Department for Transport to intervene before Sunderland City Council's failure to even understand the most basic of traffic sign legislation leads to a fatality.

The Chief Executive, the Leader and portfolio holder have all been put on notice and the Police, press and media and Department for Transport along with the Government Office of the North East informed that the inability of council officers to understand and follow the law could potentially have very serious consequences.

Whilst the leader of Sunderland City Council, Bob Symonds (above) maintains that the Decriminalised Parking Enforcement regime remains 'legal, robust and enforceable' the following series of photographs willl allow the layman and expert alike to reflect on the comments of Mr. Symonds.

Perhaps imagine a child lying under the wheels of a car after running out across the pedestrian crossing shown below may be the sobering image that will shake this council into realising how their incompetence and reckless indifference to the law could force them to confront their failings.

Following the law with regard to proper road signing is not just about being able to stick tickets on cars which can be appealed and cancelled if the signs are wrong. There are reasons why the officers at the Department for Transport spend so much time drafting the legislation.

First a little reminder of the law

- Loading Bays to Diagram 1028 series MUST be a minimum of 2.7m wide

- The 'Loading Only' legend MUST be on the outside of the bay.

Not quite the case there then.

- The Loading Only legend is INSIDE the bay.

- The bay is only 2m wide, BEHIND the zigzags.

- There is a bay behind the zig zags on opposite sides of the road either side of the crossing.
Not only illegal but downright dangerous ... an accident waiting to happen.

- the zig zag restriction runs 'edgeback to edgeback' therefore the council are actually inciting motorists to commit a criminal offence by parking in the zigzags, behind the zig zags or overhanging the zig zags.

- the serious safety issues arise from restricted visibility for motorists and pedestrians alike caused by vehicles parked in the unlawfully marked, illegal loading bay.

And the photograph above shows what happens ... a car swerves to avoid a vehicle. Now just imagine a seven and a half tonne wagon either side of the crossing and a child running out and a driver's vision obscured.

Now Mr. Symonds, chant that mantra again ... "the lines and signs are legal, robust and enforceable."

As John Munns of the Department for Transport stated in an e-mail after being shown these pictures (he did qualify it first by saying that he couldn't comment on individual cases ... but I think the Department's general rule can be accepted as being applicable)

"The combination of these regulations is not always obvious but we now understand that the zig zag should always follow the kerb-line including into any bays . Loading bays minimum width in TSRGD is 2.7m - unless it conform entirely to diagram 1032 in TSRGD. The Signs regulations always have the "loading only" legend outside the bay - authorised exceptions are very , very, raree (sic). "

On your head be it Councillor Symonds.