LET'S face it, pavements aren’t the most glamorous of things in the transport system, especially compared with say glossy new trams.

Yet they provide an essential service to millions of people every day-for-day to day travel. They do rather come in all shapes and sizes. Some are extremely narrow and some get blocked by overhanging foliage.

The biggest problem is caused by people actually parking their vehicles on pavements, even if for a short period. Imagine that you are happily wheeling along a nice footway and bang in front of you it is blocked by a car.

You are forced to somehow get down big kerbs and into the traffic flow, to get around it. How can that be fair? The car is obstructing the pavement, but this is rarely enforced, partly because the rules are so difficult to interpret.

Walking is the ultimate green transport. Surely we should be trying to enable safe walking and encourage more of it. Not blocking it off.

For years ‘Living Streets’ had been lobbying the Department for Transport for a ban on pavement parking, or at least clearer rules that can be more easily enforced.

And for years the department had made promises to review the situation, which it has then rowed back on. In fact they have been ‘sitting’ on it for 1,000 days.

Now Edinburgh is taking action. Enforcement against parking on pavements, parking at dropped kerbs and double parking will begin in Edinburgh on Monday 29 January.

National regulations giving Scottish councils the power to enforce the new rules came into effect on 11 December.

Living Streets has recently submitted a petition to 10 Downing Street on this pavement parking. Read about their campaign here livingstreets.org.uk/pavementparking.