Bad parking risks lives say fire crews

THE problem of careless parking in Alcester came under the spotlight recently, when councillors joined a team from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service to raise awareness about the dangers bad parking creates. Thoughtless parking can prevent fire fighters getting to an emergency call out; hinder the collection of rubbish and frustrate local residents who themselves have to put up with the inconvenience.

Alcester town, district and county councillor Mark Cargill said: “The back story to this is we do have some problems around Alcester Grammar School, which is also a Sixth Form College. Some of the students park their cars in residential areas because there’s limited parking at the school. It’s great they’ve passed their tests but parking can be an issue.”

Cllr Cargill teamed up with Stratford District Councillor Susan Adams and members of the fire service to talk with motorists around schools and housing estates about parking safely.

In a bid to encourage residents to park their vehicles in the right way, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service launched a ‘Park it Right’ campaign, which aims to highlight the potential dangers drivers cause when they double park or obstruct tight corners.

The campaign warns that they not only risk other people’s lives in an emergency, but appliances have the right to remove vehicles if it means getting to the fire more quickly.

The vehicle response time could also mean the difference between crews attending a fatality or saving a life. Cllr Cargill added: “We have the support of residents and the police and we will approach county council highways to see if we can get some advisory white lines painted where inconsiderate parking is most frequent. We are trying to educate people to park considerately; if they don’t they can face a fine from the police.”