The Rt Hon Maria Miller MP was given a star on Guide Dogs’ pavement parking Walk of Fame for supporting the charity’s campaign to stop cars parking on pavements.
The MP for Basingstoke attended Guide Dogs’ event at the Houses of Parliament on the 10th of June in support of their campaign. The charity wants people living with sight loss to feel confident and independent when they are out and about, and believes that vehicles parked on pavements put people living with sight loss in danger.
Maria said: “Supporting vulnerable members of the community is an absolute necessity, and I believe it to be very important that people with sight loss do feel independent and confident throughout their lives.
Guide Dogs are an excellent charity who have done a lot of great work to support these individuals, highlighting some of the significant challenges that they face in daily life.
I will be writing to our local Council to highlight this problem and ask what more can be done to help make sure Basingstoke is an easier place to live for disabled people.”
Pavement parking is already an offence in London, but the rules in the rest of the country are complex and patchy, leaving drivers uncertain of where they can and cannot park. Guide Dogs is calling for the introduction of comprehensive laws across the UK, which will outlaw pavement parking, but allow local councils to grant an exemption in areas where pavement parking is unavoidable.