We Don't Want Cars on the Sidewalk

In the last two years, there have been almost 400 accidents in municipalities in the Czech Republic that were caused by the blocking of a parked vehicle. In almost 70 cases, pedestrians were injured. This behavior is especially risky for children, who are easily overlooked by drivers right on the sidewalk or hidden at the crossing behind a parked car.

These are all reasons why parking on the sidewalk is generally prohibited. Yet it still happens all the time. The Road Traffic Act is not observed in this case and is only enforced to a very minimal extent.

Fines that no one pays

Statistics of the Czech Police analyzed in the past by Deník N and server iRozhlas for Prague and Brno show that in some parts of the city, up to half of all cars park illegally (this includes non-payment of the fee in blue zones). The Councilor for Transport of the Prague 1 district, Vojtěch Ryvola, adds that in total, the number of drivers parking illegally is about 25 %. Cities and municipal police departments are responsible for punishing illegally parked vehicles, but they are unable to deal with illegal and dangerous parking.

This situation is certainly great for cars and drivers. They park their cars in public spaces and others bear the consequences. It's as if everyone were throwing their trash anywhere and deliberately not paying for its collection. Just as we have trash cans and garbage collection fees for trash, we have parking spaces and parking fees for cars. But the rules for both need to be enforced equally.

How do we catch up with the "West"?

Just look abroad, where illegal parking is taken as seriously as all other offenses, and take inspiration from the measures that were introduced there in the past. There is no single reason why this wouldn't work here.

1. The necessary way is to make structural modifications to public spaces that can prevent illegal parking. Columns or greenery separating sidewalks and clearly marked parking spaces are key elements, along with new marked supply points. What certainly won't help is building more parking spaces. According to many analyses this generally increases traffic density and does not solve illegal parking. In addition to a safer public space for children, parents with strollers, people with disabilities and all pedestrians, these adjustments also ensure a reduction in the number of parking spaces and thus a reduction in the abnormal number of cars and trucks. In the longer term, it also reduces the traffic load on cities, i.e. a reduction in emissions and heat produced by car engines, but also relief for motorists themselves - fewer cars on the road means traffic without queues and space for those who really need to drive.
2. Create so-called fifteen-minute cities, where basic services are available within 15 minutes on foot, by public transport or by bike. Examples from Oslo, Paris and Copenhagen show that such changes increase the quality of life and reduce dependence on cars. Moreover, studies confirm the economic benefits of active transport – for example, in Seville, each cycle trip instead of a car saves almost €2, while according to a Copenhagen analysis, each kilometre cycled saves society CZK 15.5 thanks to health benefits and lower accident costs.
3. A crucial step to “catch up with the West” is to ensure that parking rules apply and that the police are able to enforce them.

Come help solve it!