Praise for council blitz on selfish parkers

I am a motorist and would like to praise Walsall Council's initiative in attempting to solve the numerous incidents of selfish and inconsiderate parking that take place around Walsall 24 hours a day.

Double-parking, parking across and opposite driveways, parking at bus stops, on corners, near to junctions – the list is endless. All are contraventions of the Highway Code that is designed to help road users, including pedestrians, to move around safely.

I have lost count of the number of vehicles that park half-on and half-off the pavement, forcing young mothers with prams, wheelchairs and motorised scooters into the road because they cannot pass.

There are certain areas of Walsall where the sheer number of vehicles and the thoughtless way they are parked makes passing down a road all but impossible and unsafe for all road users, motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, public transport, ambulances and the fire service. Just try using Lysways Street or driving through Caldmore or Bloxwich any time of the day and you will see what I mean.

Is it because people are just too lazy to find somewhere free and safe to park, because they might have to walk 100 metres or so to their destination?

Or is it just another example of the general selfishness that seems to be part of today's society? Why is it that people who complain about the cost of public transport versus parking never seem to calculate the cost per mile of actually running the car?

I am amused at those persons who complain that this is a fundraiser for the council, because it is the only fee levied by the council that is totally optional. You only pay it if you commit the offence. If it does raise some funds on this basis it might even help keep the rates down. When we live in a crowded community we should always try to consider how our actions could potentially inconvenience another person and try to minimise that.

If we are incapable of doing that ourselves then some authority has to intervene, otherwise the situation would be even more chaotic than it is now. In the past, whenever I have tried to raise parking issues with the police, they have referred me to the council and the council has referred me to the police.

At last we potentially have something that will hopefully make all our lives better.

Bill Green, Bell Road, Walsall.