A row has erupted in Lancashire, because a DVLA official intent on catching drivers who do not have any road tax. He had parked up on the pavement and set up his equipment that checks the number plates of passing vehicles.

It was a reader of a local newspaper who caught the DVLA worker in the act and took a photo as proof. The newspaper reader said, “There is not enough room to get past this vehicle with a double baby buggy without either walking onto the grass or walking into the road.

“Pavements are for people, prams and dogs. They aren’t constructed to take the weight of vehicles – roads are, that’s where vehicles and horses should be.”

The DVLA worker clearly did not realise that parking a vehicle so that all four wheels are off the road could be considered illegal. The DVLA worker said, “I can only apologise on behalf of the Agency if on this occasion the operators in question transgressed the rules.

“This has been brought to the attention of the crew concerned and I can assure you that such an occurrence will not happen again.

“Sites from which our ANPR vehicles operate are risk assessed in advance to ensure that we do not hinder traffic flow or cause an obstruction to road users or pedestrians.

“It would appear that on this occasion procedures were not adhered to.”

Are DVLA workers above the law or is there some sort of rule that allows them to this in order to catch other road users who are breaking the law.

Aidan Turner-Bishop of the Lancashire Campaign for Better Transport said: “If they are parking on the pavement they stop people walking with pushchairs and stop wheelchairs – they are being thoughtless.”

Source [LEP]