# Traffic Signs Manual/Chapter 3/2008/8

GENERAL
8.1 In London, parking is not permitted on the footway or verge unless a resolution of the local authority under section 15(4) of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1974 authorises the provision of parking places, either partially or wholly on the footway. Elsewhere, vehicles are not specifically prohibited from parking on the footway or verge (although it is unlawful to drive on the footway), unless (a) an order has been made (see para 6.11) or (b) there is a prohibition of waiting; this normally applies from the centre of the carriageway to the highway boundary (see para [[../6#6.2). Outside London, an order that bans footway parking may designate certain sections of footway as parking places.
8.2 On some residential streets, parked vehicles restrict the passage of through traffic and make access by emergency vehicles very difficult. The problem can often be resolved by the introduction of a prohibition of waiting, perhaps on one side of the road only. However, in areas of dense housing where off—street parking is very limited, such a prohibition could disadvantage residents. If this is the case, the provision of footway parking could be considered.
8.3 Care should be taken when selecting suitable sites; the remaining width of footway needs to be wide enough for pedestrians and should allow for two push chairs to pass each other. There could also be serious implications for visually impaired pedestrians and other disabled persons, such as those who use wheelchairs or electric scooters, as they might find their way obstructed. The minimum clear width for pedestrians should therefore be 1500 mm. It might be better to provide parking bays partially on the footway on both sides of the road rather than parking bays wholly on the footway on one side with carriageway parking on the other. This would evenly distribute available footway width on both sides of the road, although it would not be practicable if one footway is very narrow or non—existent. In some roads, the provision of parking bays partially on the footway on one side only might be sufficient to allow safe passage of through traffic. The footway should also be of suitable construction to allow vehicle parking. Where there is a scheme to improve a road, the opportunity should be taken to consider the provision of lay—bys as an alternative to footway parking.
8.4 Parking bays provided on the footway should normally operate at all times. Drivers should not be expected to park on the footway for part of the day and wholly on the carriageway at other times. This would be inconvenient and confusing, particularly where a bay has been marked partially on the footway and partially on the carriageway. Where there is a specific need to keep the footway clear and, in the case of bays partially on the footway, to keep the carriageway clear at certain times of the day, there should be a prohibition of waiting at the appropriate times. Where, in exceptional circumstances, parking is permitted on the footway for only part of the day and on the carriageway at other times, bay markings should not be provided (see para 8.6).
USE OF SIGNS AND MARKINGS
8.5 Signs to diagrams 667, 667.1 and 667.2 are used to indicate that parking may take place partially on the footway. Signs to diagrams 668, 668.1 and 668.2 indicate that parking is permitted wholly on the footway. These six diagrams include a symbol which shows the footway to the left of the carriageway. Where, from the driver's point of view, the parking bays are on the right hand side of the road and the signs face oncoming traffic, the symbol is reversed to show the footway to the right of the carriageway. Where a sign is mounted parallel to the kerb and includes an arrow (see para 8.12), the symbol shall show the footway to the right of the carriageway when the arrow points to the left and vice versa. The symbol then represents the true situation when looking in the direction of the arrow. Sign design details are set out on the appropriate working drawings (see para 1.9).
667 Vehicles may be parked partially on the verge or footway
An arrow may be added pointing to the left or to the right. The symbol of the car on the footway may be reversed in a mirror image
667.1 Vehicles may be parked partially on the verge or footway during the period indicated
An arrow may be added pointing to the left or to the right. The time period may be varied. ”in marked bays” may be added to or substituted for the time period. The symbol of the car on the footway may be reversed in a mirror image
667.2 End of area where vehicles may be parked partially on the verge or footway
The symbol of the car on the footway may be reversed in a mirror image
668 Vehicles may be parked wholly on the verge or footway
Ah arrow may be added pointing to the left or to the right. The symbol of the car on the footway may be reversed in a mirror image
668.1 Vehicles may be parked wholly on the verge or footway during the period indicated
An arrow may be added pointing to the left or to the right. The time period may be varied. ”in marked bays” may be added to or substituted for the time period. The symbol of the car on the footway may be reversed in a mirror image
668.2 End of area where vehicles may be parked wholly on the verge or footway
The symbol of the car on the footway may be reversed in a mirror image
8.7 Direction 8 requires a sign to diagram 667, 667.1, 668 or 668.1 to be located where footway parking commences. This sign normally faces oncoming traffic, but may be mounted parallel to the kerb (see para 8.12), in which case it should include an arrow pointing to the left or to the right as appropriate (see para 8.5). On a two—way road a sign must be provided at each end of the bay, whether facing oncoming traffic or parallel to the kerb. A sign to diagram 667.2 or 668.2, facing oncoming traffic, indicates the end of footway parking. On a two—way road it should be mounted back to back with the start sign at each end of the bay. Where a start sign is parallel to the kerb, it is not necessary to provide a sign to diagram 667.2 or 668.2 at the same location. There is no specific requirement to provide repeater signs as direction 11 does not apply to signs indicating footway parking (but see para 8.8).
8.8 The start sign would normally be to diagram 667 or 668, whether or not bay markings have been provided. Any individually marked bay would need to be signed separately as described in para 8.7. Where parking bays are interrupted by private accesses, trees and street furniture, an alternative is to provide a sign to diagram 667.1 or 668.1 with the lower panel varied to "In marked bays". Such a sign need only be erected at each end of the run of bays and should face oncoming traffic (see figure 8-1). Signs for intermediate bays would not usually be required. However, separate signing should be provided where the run of bays is interrupted by a road junction or a kerbed private access, or where a section of the road between the bays is subject to a prohibition of waiting. Additional signs might be required where there is a road junction opposite the parking bays and drivers entering from that road need to be made aware of the parking requirements. Repeater signs to diagram 667 or 668 are optional and may be provided as considered necessary, mounting them on lamp columns if appropriate. Repeater signs are more likely to be necessary where road markings have not been provided.
8.9 Where the parking place operates for only part of the day, the sign to diagram 667.1 or 668.1 is used showing the appropriate times. The legend ”in marked bays” should be added above the time period when the signs are used as described in para 8.8. At other times there should be a prohibition of waiting (see para 8.4), signed in accordance with section 6 and with signs located so as not to obstruct the parking bay or the footway. Where possible they may be co-located with the footway parking signs. A yellow line to diagram 1017 should be provided along the edge of the carriageway. This will run through the middle of a marked bay where this is partially on the footway (see figure 8.2|8-2). Where parking is wholly on the footway, double yellow lines to diagram 1018.1 (no waiting at any time) should not be provided as a means to prevent parking on the carriageway, as the restriction would apply equally to the footway (see para 6.2). Any repeater signs indicating parking on the footway should be to diagram 667.1 or 668.1, showing the appropriate time periods; it is not necessary to include the legend "in marked bays" where the road marking to diagram 1028.4 has been provided.
8.10 Where conditions apply to the parking place, such as permit parking, limited waiting or pay and display, signs should be provided as described in section 7 at the intervals specified in para 7.50, and must include the appropriate variant of the bay marking to diagram 1028.4 (see para 8.6). Sometimes it will be necessary to site the upright signs at the back of the footway. A sign to diagram 667.1 or 668.1, with the legend "in marked bays", should be provided at the start of the bay or run of bays, with a sign to diagram 667.2 or 668.2 at the end. Repeater signs to diagram 667 or 668, indicating footway parking, are not necessary in this case. It might sometimes be preferable to omit the start and end of footway parking signs and seek authorisation from the Department to vary parking place signs to include the footway parking symbol. Figure 8-2 shows an example of a time-limited parking bay using a non-prescribed variant of diagram 661.1, but similar signs, also requiring authorisation, could indicate other types of parking such as pay and display or permit holders only.
NOTE: The signs shown face In marked oncoming traffic and are seen bays when driving from A to B. Appropriate signs are provided in the opposite direction on a two—way road.
Figure 8-1 Example of signing marked parking bays wholly and partially on the footway (see para 8.8)
Table 8-1 Size of signs facing oncoming traffic (height of "P" symbol in millimetres) :
| Diagram No. | Marked bay | 85th percentile speed of private cars (mph) | 85th percentile speed of private cars (mph) | 85th percentile speed of private cars (mph) | 85th percentile speed of private cars (mph) |
| Diagram No. | Marked bay | Up to 20 | 21 to 30 | 31 to 40 | Over 40 |
| 667 & 668 | Yes | 80 | 100 | 120 | 160 |
| 667 & 668 | No | 100 (80) | 120 (100) | 160 (120) | 200 (160) |
| 667.1 & 668.1 | Yes | 160 | 180 | 200 | 200 |
| 667.1 & 668.1 | No | 160 (120) | 180 (160) | 200 | 200 |
| 667.2 & 668.2 | Yes | 80 | 100 | 120 | 160 |
| 667.2 & 668.2 | No | 100 (80) | 120 (100) | 160 (120) | 200 (160) |
NOTE: The smaller bracketed sizes are appropriate only where special amenity considerations apply.
Figure 8-2 Example of a parking bay partially on the footway, with a prohibition of waiting during peak hours and limited waiting during the day—time from Monday to Saturday (see paras 8.9 and 8.10)
The upright sign is not prescribed by the Regulations and requires authorisation. Overnight and Sunday parking has been included on the sign to indicate that footway parking is available at these times
SIGN SIZE AND SITING
8.11 The signs for footway parking are prescribed with an x—height in the range 20 mm minimum to 50 mm maximum. For signs that have no legend, the size is prescribed by reference to the height of the ”P” symbol, which is equal to four times the x—height. Where the sign faces oncoming traffic and is intended to be read from a moving vehicle, its size needs to be appropriate to the circumstances. Signs need to be larger when the 85th percentile speed is higher, where there is a time plate that drivers need to read, and where there are no bay markings to make the footway parking more conspicuous. Appropriate sizes are shown in table 8-1. Where signs are parallel to the kerb, the smaller sizes are likely to be appropriate. Intermediate sizes might be required to increase conspicuity where signs are mounted at the back of the footway or where bay markings have not been provided.
8.12 The start and end signs are normally mounted to face oncoming traffic. However, there might be situations where it is more practical to mount signs parallel to the kerb, similar to other parking signs. In these circumstances an end sign is not required. A start sign is located at each end of the parking bay and shall include an arrow as described in para 8.5, pointing in the direction of footway parking. The arrow should not be used to indicate that there is footway parking along another road, to the left or to the right. Although the Regulations permit the addition of an arrow to the end sign (diagrams 667.2 and 668.2) it is unlikely that there will be situations where this will be appropriate. Where bay markings are not provided, the start of footway ​parking should always be indicated by diagram 667 or 668, with arrows, mounted parallel to the kerb. If the signs were to face oncoming traffic (without arrows), they could be mistaken for repeater signs, tempting drivers to park in advance of them where footway parking is prohibited. Signs to diagrams 667.1 and 668.1 may be mounted parallel to the kerb, particularly where they indicate a time period rather than the legend "in marked bays" and where they are used as repeater signs. Signs located at each end of a parking bay should include an arrow. Where a sign to diagram 667, 667.1, 668 or 668.1 is mounted parallel to the kerb, the footway parking symbol should always have the footway shown to the left except where the sign includes an arrow pointing to the left; the symbol is then reversed.
8.13 Where used, repeater signs do not have to be erected at any specific intervals. The siting of these will depend on the need to remind drivers that footway parking is permitted, particularly where there are no bay markings. Locating signs immediately adjacent to the parking bay might not be practicable where posts would be in the middle of the footway and be a hazard to pedestrians. However, existing lamp columns might be suitable for mounting the signs, either parallel to the kerb or back to back facing oncoming traffic. Elsewhere, it might be necessary to mount the signs at the back of the footway on posts, walls or railings, but care must be taken to ensure that conspicuity is not compromised.
8.14 Where signs are provided to indicate waiting restrictions or parking controls, they should be in accordance with the size and siting requirements set out in sections 6 and 7 respectively. It might be necessary to mount these signs at the back of the footway (see para 8.13).
This work has been mirrored or sourced from material provided on the UK Government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual, which states material is available under the terms of the Open Government License unless indicated otherwise. (Crown copyright acknowledged.)
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This version was transcribed in May 2015, from a 2008 impression.
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