Parking my car in front of my own house

V

vector

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To give a background I live in private cul-de-sac 1970s era semi-detached house

Like most housing esates at the some stage the local authority (county council) took "charge?" of the road, so they tar it.

My driveway only holds 1 car, and I now have two cars.

1. Do I have any right to park outside my own house (outside my curtlidge) on the road?

2. and if I do can I put two wheels on the footpath? (I don't want to for the sake of my suspension, but on the other hand it seems more considerate in case a truck wanted to pass to allow it plenty of room)

I'd guess that I don't actually have a right to park in front of my own house as the road is owned by the council, indeed, this must the be case with most houses in ireland, and its only a matter of time before a cash hungy local authority decided to clamp suburbia
 
Havealaugh said:
No you can't - it's illegal
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ok, well thats on down

although it would be an interesting loophole if the footpath in question did not meet some minimum width was thus not a "footpath" within the meaning of the act (which act I don't know, just a thought)
 
A footpath is by it's definition "a Footpath" and not for vehicular traffic !
 
Havealaugh said:
A footpath is by it's definition "a Footpath" and not for vehicular traffic !
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You wouldn't want to live where we live then, full of rented accom. with 3 cars to most houses, you wouldn't get a pram past the cars at the best of time, you need to walk out on the road and it's a new estate. You would think if it was illegal to park at the end of your own drive that the developers would be made to provide adequate parking for at least 2 cars for each house, strange one ....
 
We bought a 4 bed in a new mixed development. 1.8 spaces per house! Don't fancy living here as the families around grow!
 
Cars down our street regularly park completely on the pavement with ALL FOUR wheels on it totally blocking the way for peds.
 
If you have a front garden, you could always tarmac or pave the grass area to create a bigger driveway.

I did that in January and it cost €2,000 for the whole front to be tarmaced. Ample space now for cars and no more mowing.
 
A few points :

- you have the right to park outside your house, but everyone else (who has paid their road tax) also has the right to park there too, so if you get there first it's yours, if someone else gets there first it's theirs.
- it's not illegal to park ouside your house, it's illegal to park on a footpath
- it's also inconsiderate to park on a footpath - do you really think it is better to be nice to a truck than to ensure that the footpath is clear for people with buggies, wheelchairs, visually impaired, etc . . . ?

Some people visiting a building between my house and the kids school insist on parking on the footpath in the mornings. When passing this way on the way to school in the morning I have a choice of making the kids cycle on a busy road or getting them to squeeze through between the wall and the car. Sometimes (although rarely) the cars get scratched, but I'll go for that *every* time before making my kids cycle against the traffic on the road because someone parked on the footpath.

There's a reason there is an allowance of 1.8 cars (and with a given size per car, not just a space fit for a Smart) per dwelling. If there are too many spaces people will fill them up and nobody will use public transport. If there are too few people will spill out onto the neighbouring roads, park on the pavements, etc . . .

There is no magic number for all developments which will result in a perfect balance of supply & demand for spaces, but 1.8 seems to work reasonably well.

z
 
If there are cars parked on the footpath and they are forcing you to walk or push a pram out into the middle of the road, then call the Gardai or the clampers. The number in Dublin for the clampers is 6022500. They are fairly responsive. I have got a few cars clamped and towed.

brendan
 
Brendan, thanks for the number, but it is for Dublin City only as far as I know. The area I am in is just outside the boundaries and the relevant authority don't clamp. They have some parking wardens (or whatever they have been rebranded as now) but I think they are based in the built up areas and don't do 'site' visits as such.

I may be wrong, but I understand the Gardai don't come out since it is not a criminal matter. If someone can correct me on this then I will be happy indeed . . .

z
 
If you have a driveway you may park outside your house although it is illegal for other cars to do so i.e. block a driveway. It's definitely illegal to park on the footpath and the Gardai will come out if called. If a patrolling garda notices the offence he may/will give a ticket.
 
There is a blind man living in my mam's estate. He is very independent and has worked in the department of social welfare for approx 30 years and he makes his own way to and from work by public transport. He usually gets the arrow home and then walks from the station home (about a five minute walk) with his stick to guide him.

The other day I was coming out of the estate when I saw him coming home. He turned to walk up the footpath he usually goes up only to walk straight into a car with all four wheels up on the footpath displaying a for sale sign. A young polish guy on his way home from work had to run over from the opposite side of the road and stop him from barging into the car, as he did not know how to get around it.

I was absolutely disgusted and knocked into the house of the person with the car, they were living in the estate but on a different road and gave them what for. Needless to say, the car has not been back there since.

Parking wholly or even partly on a footpath is illegal and totally ignorant.
 

According to the rules of the road it it also illegal to cycle on the footpath.

So would it be OK if I push your kids out of the way if they are blocking the path on their bikes and I can't get past?
 
How would people deal with the situation where a friend of a neighbour constantly parks his van outside the front door of a house in the estate and yet he lives 2 miles away. The van can be left there for week on end without being moved.


Bedlam
 
How about reporting it as an abandoned vehicle...if nobody in the immediate vicinity owns it?!
 
Ham Slicer said:
According to the rules of the road it it also illegal to cycle on the footpath.

So would it be OK if I push your kids out of the way if they are blocking the path on their bikes and I can't get past?
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Ham slicer - no it wouldn't be OK. If you ask them to move and they don't then I would imagine I wouldn't be upset if you pushed through them. I have asked driver sitting in their car blocking the footpath to move and if they don't I get the kids to pass through.

It's not illegal to cycle on a footpath - it's something you shouldn't do. However, given the situation where young children need to get to school and there is an N-road along the way then it would be foolhardy to force them out onto the road where the risk of getting killed is very real.

z
 
zag said:
It's not illegal to cycle on a footpath - it's something you shouldn't do.
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Lifted from the new rules of the road:

You must not:

Ride or attempt to ride a bicycle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs,
Ride on or across a footpath,
Hold on to a moving vehicle,
Cycle more than two abreast (in heavy traffic cycle in single file),
Cycle against the traffic flow on one-way street.

You must:

Cycle in single file when overtaking (when overtaking parked vehicles beware of doors that may open sudden),
Give your name and address if requested, to a Garda,
Obey signals given by a Garda or School Warden,
Obey the rules applying at traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, pelican crossing and zebra crossings,
Know the meaning of hand signals for cyclists and give them when cycling on the road.

You should not:

Hold on to or lean against stationary vehicles,
Weave in and out of moving traffic,
Carry a passenger.

You should:

Keep well back when cycling behind a motor vehicle in slow moving traffic,
Take extra care on wet or icy roads or when the wind is blowing strongly,
Use your bell as a warning only,
Cycle on cycle tracks where such facilities are provided.


AFAIK: If provided, a Cycle Track MUST be used. I even know of people who were fined £50 for NOT using the Cycle Track on the Stillorgan Dual Carriageway. Can they now look for their money back as it is now classed as a 'You should' offence!!

Towger
 
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The rules of the road reads:
You must not:
Ride on or across a footpath.
 
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