General Parking Restrictions
On this page you will find details on:
Bus Lanes
Bus Lanes are normally marked with red road surfacing and are separated from the rest of the road by a single wide continuous white line. There will be a large sign at the beginning of the bus lane showing the hours of operation and which vehicles can use the bus lane e.g. buses, taxis and cycles.
There will be a small sign at the end of bus lane at which point normal parking restrictions commence.
No vehicles, including vehicles showing a Disabled Person’s Badge, are permitted to park in bus lanes, unless there is a marked pay & display or shared use bay which permits parking during the hours that the bus lane is controlled. Similarly, no loading or unloading is permitted to take place during the period that the bus lane is in operation unless there are marked loading bays which show the times of control and maximum stay period.
Red Routes
Roads or part of roads that are Red Routes can be identified by either single or double red lines painted on the road next to the kerb. Along these roads stopping, even to pick up or drop off passengers, parking, loading or unloading is prohibited during the hours of control. The hours of control will be shown on signs at the beginning of and along the length of the Red Route. Generally there will be short term bays located within the Red Route which will allow parking, and loading and unloading, for a maximum of 20 minutes. Red Routes are not controlled by the Royal Borough of Kingston but by the Metropolitan Police Traffic Wardens. Any queries regarding enforcement or if you have received a Fixed Penalty Notice then you must contact your local police station or telephone 0845 6034545.
School “Keep Clear”Markings
These restrictions are provided for safety reasons to ensure clear sight lines for both motorists and children outside schools. They are identified by yellow zig-zag lines and large yellow signs at either end of the restriction.
The restrictions are at present normally in place during school term times of between 8.15 a.m. and 9.15 a.m. and between 3.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays. Note - The Council has approved extending the hours to 8am to 4.30pm or 8am to 6.00pm (in certain areas) on Mondays to Friday throughout the year, except during August. The amendments will come into force during the 2008 school summer holidays. Please check signs carefully before parking or stopping on the markings.
No vehicles, including vehicles showing a Disabled Person’s Badge, are permitted to stop within the area of the markings even for picking up or setting down passengers. You must not load or unload during the time and period that the restriction is in operation.
If the school is within a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) then the Keep Clear section will also be covered by a single yellow line restriction which prohibits parking within the Keep Clear section during the CPZ controlled hours.
Suspended Parking Bays
The Council sometimes needs to suspend or partially suspend parking bays for road works or other essential reasons. Parking is prohibited on a suspended bay by all vehicles, other than for authorised vehicles, for 24 hours a day. The number of suspended days will be shown on the adjacent notice. The responsibility is with the driver to read and understand when the suspension is in force. Whenever possible, suspension notices are put up at last 5 days in the advance of the suspension coming into force.
Suspensions are indicated by bright yellow notices with No Waiting – No Loading logo, which are placed at adjacent sign plate(s) to the suspended area.
If Pay and Display or meter bays are suspended they will be covered by yellow suspension bags if the whole bay is suspended, otherwise a suspension notice will indicate which portion of the bay will be unavailable.
Pedestrian crossings; Zebra, Pelican & Toucan Markings
The white zig-zag restrictions are provided for safety reasons to prohibit waiting or parking and to ensure clear sight lines for both motorists and pedestrians.
The Police can also issue a fixed charge notice for an infringement, which also carries penalty points as well as a fine.
Goods vehicles & Coaches Overnight Parking Ban
Black on yellow plates in every residential road indicates the prohibition of vehicles of 5 tonnes and over from parking overnight between the hours of 6.30pm and 8.00am on each day of the week.
Coaches may only park in the designated Coach Bays located in Cocks Crescent, New Malden.
Parking on the pavement (footway) restrictions
Parking on pavements, verges, traffic islands and central reservations is illegal throughout all London boroughs unless there is a specific exemption indicated by a sign shown above. The limit of the exemption will also be indicated by a similar sign but with a red diagonal stripe across it
Parking at Dropped Kerbs
Under section 137 of the Highways Act 1980 any vehicle parked on the highway other than in a designated parking place may be considered to be causing an obstruction. The Police Service has powers to move obstructive and dangerously parked vehicles and, where appropriate, can prosecute motorists for the offence. The Council considers that the Police Service is the most appropriate body to deal with these serious parking offences and is better equipped to arrange for the removal of any obstructive vehicle.
Parking at dropped kerbs is prohibited in the Greater London area under the provision of Section 14 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003. From 2008 under the Traffic Management Act 2004 these powers will be extended to all local authorities in England which have civil parking enforcement powers. As yet the Borough has not formulated a formal enforcement policy in respect of these new powers and at present the advice provided above should be adopted in these circumstances.