Drivers are set to be banned from parking on the pavement and face a £70 fine if they leave their cars on the walkway

DRIVERS face being banned from parking on pavements amid new plans to de-clutter streets and encourage more people to walk.

The ban on pavement parking which has been in place in London for 40 years could be extended to the rest of England by politicians.

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The Department for Transport has now confirmed that it is considering overhauling the rules to bring the rest of the country in line with the capital.

It would therefore be it illegal to park on the curb unless councils explicitly grant permission to do so – with offenders facing a fine of up to £70.

In some cities such as Cambridge, traffic wardens could soon be patrolling major roads, issuing tickets to take the burden off the police.

The proposed move has been welcomed by road safety campaigners and disability groups.

But motoring organisations claim the new powers could be abused by councils to raise revenue – while warning that many already fail to provide adequate street parking.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “The concern would be that local authorities will be able to ban pavement without looking at the consequences or studying the alternatives.

“Getting rid of pavement parking is fine but only if you then remove some redundant double-yellow lines to create space elsewhere.”

Outside the capital, parking on pavements is generally allowed except where vehicles are A Department of Transport spokesman said: “We are currently considering the rules around pavement parking, including whether more can be done to make it easier for councils to tackle problem areas in a consistent way.

“Work is ongoing and no decisions have been made.” Ministers also confirmed plans to scrap pelican crossings in favour of “puffin crossings” that hold traffic for longer and rely on a green man crossing signal at head height as well as at the other side of the road.