REGARDING the letter ‘When will our traffic woes be resolved?’.

I too have issues with cars parking all over public highways and using the footpaths as their own private car space.

I have a disabled daughter and when pushing her in her disability chair I have to walk in the road to get around the parked vehicles parked on the footpaths.

So last year I contacted Wigan Council and got a reply stating: “Thank you for your email regarding vehicles parking on the footway in Atherton. The parking of vehicles on the footway is a danger to pedestrians, it also constitutes obstruction of the highway and can lead to damage, which are both offences under The Highways Act 1980.

"Where parking restrictions are present the council’s civil enforcement officers can undertake enforcement action against vehicles parked in contravention, as the restriction applies to the back of the footway.

"Where there are no parking restrictions, enforcement of footway parking would fall under the Greater Manchester Police to take action commensurate with their other operational duties. The traffic network section of Greater Manchester Police have informed us that they do enforce footway parking; however, they only do this if they consider the parked vehicle is causing an obstruction.

"The police consider a vehicle parked on the footway to be an obstruction if the footway width is reduced to less than 1.2 metres. A distance of less than 1.2 metres would prohibit a wheelchair user or pushchair from passing. If you wish to speak to the police they can be contacted on 0161 872 5050."

So the answer to your question of when does Wigan Council intend to address the gross problem of vehicles being parked on the roadside is that they want the public to phone the police. And of course I won’t be ringing up the police every time I see a car parked on the pavement.

Wigan resident

Atherton