Clamp-down in Clifton

Some people might be shocked by the number of cars in the Clifton area sporting DVLA-untaxed-vehicle clamps on the last Sunday in January

Not us. We know how easy it is to forget to MOT, to tax, to insure your vehicle. Especially near christmas time. Have you ever tried to queue in a post-office for a new tax disk when there is a queue of people in front of you is trying to post presents? Putting off getting a new tax disk until later in the year is the only action that makes sense.

This is why we think the DVLA should show some forgiveness here. But no, they drive round Clifton on a weekend, just to fill up their quote. But look at this picture: a cyclist, walking their bike on the pavement. Does the DVLA clamp them? Not a chance.

Build-outs are for Builders

Readers might be surprised to discover that this site is in favour of build outs. Don't they reduce the amount of parking? they may ask. No, they don't. They just stop the little people from using it.

Build-outs tend to be for the exclusive use of residents, delivery vehicles and people working in the houses. This means that they provide a small amount of resident parking spaces without any of the overhead of creating resident parking areas. No need to sticker up cars, paint over roads, enforce pavement or road parking rules. Just leave the build-outs for vans such as Refresh Painting and Decorating and their van KM53RVY. Problem solved!

(This is on the junction of Hanbury and Pembroke Road, outside the (proposed) Cliftonwood CPZ. With build-outs like these, there is no need to expand the proposed zones.)

Double Corner Parking

This site is not satire or sarcasm: it is documentary. When we praise someone for finding a new solution to the problem of where to leave their chosen transport option when not in use -we mean it. We do like novelty and entertainment, however, which is why we despair at the sight of the Montpelier Range-Rovers every time one of us passes Picton street -what else is there to say about them except give them names and try and spot them parked anywhere else in the city?

No, what we need is novelty and entertainment. Which is why we are very, very grateful for the Peugeot N10L0S on Hanbury Road/Eaton Crescent this fine February morning, for introducing a whole new concept to Bristol Parking: Double Corner Parking

It's not that obvious when you approach, just a car at the end of the road with a pedestrian trying to get through the gap between it and the car to the left

But look sideways on -you can see that even when another pedestrian has squeezed past, the front of the car is still a car-length away from blocking the pavement. This car's driver has given up trying to find a space in the part of Clifton that opted not to become resident's parking, and just stopped in the road. It's not far off that Will Smith zombie film where everyone pulled over to the side of the New York streets before turning into flesh-eating killers, leaving Will Smith to drive round the empty roads at speed.

Looking from Eaton Crescent, the sheer boldness of the parking manoeuvre becomes apparent. The car is just stopped in the middle of the junction, seemingly left there all night. To turn left here you will have to swing out into the oncoming lane then pull out slowly, visibility being done for in the process.

This is more than corner parking, it is a whole new concept, something like "random junction parking", though sadly that isn't as catchy. But think if the idea does catches on? Right now, every corner: room for one more car. With this, two cars. Really wide junctions, three cars.

The best bit, if enough cars park over the junction, then it becomes a de-facto shared space/home area.

Clearly, this piece of innovative parking is a profound new development in the city's portfolio of places and ways to park. Is it a coincidence that this new way to implement shared-spaces gets rolled out the same week we get a new local government? We suspect not.