Visually Impaired Man Leads Charge Against Pavement Parking Hazards

As of November 6th, 2025, a visually impaired man in Ballymoney, County Antrim has been leading the charge against the growing issue of pavement parking in his community. Alex Patterson, who began losing his sight 15 years ago, says vehicles parked on footpaths are a "daily problem" that jeopardizes the safety of pedestrians, particularly those with disabilities or families with young children.

In response to concerns raised by Patterson and others, the Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, announced last week that her department would be introducing new legislation to tackle "inconsiderate" pavement parking. The proposed laws would ban people from parking wholly on pavements, across dropped kerbs used for pedestrian access, and from double parking.