Absurd coach parking

[rendelharris]

Morning all,

All this week a large coach has been parking in Soames Street, right on the junction with Copleston Road; as you can see from the pictures attached (sorry for the poor quality, had to scale down massively to fit), not only is it taking up a lot of parking spaces but by parking right on the junction it's completely blocked the sightlines, creating a hazard for pedestrians and road traffic alike.

I've emailed the company asking them if they could park elsewhere, but they haven't responded. I haven't seen a driver or anyone else getting on or off otherwise I'd have had a word directly, does anyone happen to know why it's parked there (there can't be that many Japanese tourists desperate to get a picture of me, surely?)? Maybe if it's being used by a local institution they could suggest to the driver that this is not a safe place to park?

The alternative, I know, is to contact Southwark Parking Enforcement, but I'd sooner not get people into trouble or fined if a polite word would suffice.

Cheers,

Rendel

[ponderwoman]

You may find this is privately owned ( it is quite elderly for commercial use). Perhaps someone is planning ahead for Glastonbury next year.................

[rendelharris]

ponderwoman Wrote:

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> You may find this is privately owned ( it is quite

> elderly for commercial use). Perhaps someone is

> planning ahead for Glastonbury next

> year.................

It's a thought, but as another (brown) coach with the same branding (sorry, in my OP I should have said "coaches have") was parked there on Monday and Tuesday it seems this particular company have just decided this is a convenient place to stash their coaches when not in use. I suspect they're dropping their passengers in central London then coming out here to avoid parking charges. Fortunately no accidents as yet but several squealing brake incidents, feel it's only a matter of time...

[Abe_froeman]

That sort of parking won't happen much more when we get our famed 10 metres of coble yellows at every junction. If t=here are squaling brakes thatn the drivers of those vehicles are also at fault for not driving at an appropriate speed for the conditions.

[rendelharris]

Abe_froeman Wrote:

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> That sort of parking won't happen much more when

> we get our famed 10 metres of coble yellows at

> every junction. If t=here are squaling brakes

> thatn the drivers of those vehicles are also at

> fault for not driving at an appropriate speed for

> the conditions.

Well indeed, but unfortunately not everyone is careful - if someone gets knocked down because a driver didn't see them emerging from behind the coach the question of who's at fault will only be secondary!

I know there's much debate about the need for 10m of yellow lines, but this chap's stuck this damned great bus less than a metre from the junction, which would be absurd for a private car, let alone this behemoth.

[Sue]

Try phoning them?

Note on windscreen??

[adonirum]

Would usually be a good idea, Sue, but that is a scottish dialling code, so probably old livery signage and the vehicle has changed hands and possibly wouldn't reveal whom/when they sold it.

[rendelharris]

adonirum Wrote:

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> Would usually be a good idea, Sue, but that is a

> scottish dialling code, so probably old livery

> signage and the vehicle has changed hands and

> possibly wouldn't reveal whom/when they sold it.

Yes, just tried that number (thanks Sue, a sign of how internetted one's become that I searched all over for an email address without even thinking to use the obvious telephone number!) and "number not recognised." The lack of email on the coachwork probably does reveal it's getting on. May have to give Southwark a bell...

[Rosetta]

Try Southwark highways. Get email and send a picture. Also contact councillors.

[rendelharris]

Rosetta Wrote:

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> Try Southwark highways. Get email and send a

> picture. Also contact councillors.

Cheers, just have (contacted Southwark).

[ianr]

rendelharris Wrote:

------------------------------------------------------->

> Yes, just tried that number (thanks Sue, a sign of

> how internetted one's become that I searched all

> over for an email address without even thinking to

> use the obvious telephone number!) and "number not

> recognised." The lack of email on the coachwork

> probably does reveal it's getting on. May have to

> give Southwark a bell...

It does look as if it's probably no longer part of their fleet. http://cochranetravelbathgate.co.uk/coach-hire/3695726

[Jeremy]

Surprising that a coach company would sell a vehicle with their name/details/livery still on it!

[pr5ined]

Very interesting....do let me know how this plays out.. might be one for Columbo?

[Sue]

Perhaps we could all club together and hire a breakdown lorry to tow it/them away and leave it/them somewhere else :)

Presumably the current owners can be traced by the registration number, but not sure whether anybody other than the police are able to do that.

[Abe_froeman]

I suspect that the owners of a lot of large vehicles like this parked round here actually live in them.

[almost peckham]

It came up the one way bit of copleston on monday early eve, saw it while we were out with the dog. Rumbling along very slowly (us and the bus) with two blokes in the front not looking like they knew where they were going or what might lie ahead of them - ie, loads of tight corners and streets not really big enough for coaches. They tried making the right into oxenford before giving in and setting off back up copleston. It does make the junction unsighted and pretty hazardous. I always thought something this big, similarly to anything bigger than a 3.5t truck, needed to have provable off-road parking.

[rendelharris]

almost peckham Wrote:

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> It came up the one way bit of copleston on monday

> early eve, saw it while we were out with the dog.

> Rumbling along very slowly (us and the bus) with

> two blokes in the front not looking like they knew

> where they were going or what might lie ahead of

> them - ie, loads of tight corners and streets not

> really big enough for coaches. They tried making

> the right into oxenford before giving in and

> setting off back up copleston. It does make the

> junction unsighted and pretty hazardous. I always

> thought something this big, similarly to anything

> bigger than a 3.5t truck, needed to have provable

> off-road parking.

Well, it's still there! Haven't heard anything back from the council or the coach company (though I suspect those above who surmise it's not on their books any more may well be right). So it's probably here for the weekend...I shall keep an eye out for any signs of life and try again Monday. Already heard two furious hooting confrontations this evening - people turning into Soames Street simply can't see anyone trying to get out, it's a ridiculous place to leave such a large vehicle.

[Passiflora]

Your pics are fine in the first post! It's a big coach and probably the first of many (and other vehicles like black cabs, company vehicles) if your street has 'free' parking.

[Sally Eva]

southwark parking enforcement or a site called Fix My Street. I have found the parking enforcement very quick for parking on the pavement etc and Fix My Street very good for obstructions on the highway/potholes etc.

[rendelharris]

It now has a Southwark Parking Notice on it, so we'll see what happens. Thanks for all the suggestions!

[lbsmith73]

Now the bus is parked in Scutari Rd. How do I get it moved?

[rendelharris]

lbsmith73 Wrote:

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> Now the bus is parked in Scutari Rd. How do I get

> it moved?

Cheeky buggers - they told a neighbour they were off after two weeks, they didn't say they were just going to shove it elsewhere! As for getting it moved I'm afraid I can't really help. I emailed Southwark parking and environmental departments more than three weeks ago, the only response I've had apart from automated we'll get back to you message was a message from environment that they were passing to parking. A single ticket was stuck on it after three days and that was all that was done before they left voluntarily at the end of last week.

[Sally Eva]

Phone Parking enforcement on 0207 708 8587

[spacehopper]

I just called parking enforcement to complain about it. The said they'd send someone to look at it today but also advised me to email [email protected] to flag it up & attach photos, which I have done. Can I suggest anyone else who's pissed off about this stupid coach does exactly the same (call & email) and hopefully it'll get moved.

[Sally Eva]

I think coach companies operating PSVs (public service vehicles) have to be registered with the Traffic Commissioner.

this page https://www.gov.uk/bus-registration-search goes to a search engine which will search for the bus operator. The registration number of the coach might be sufficient to find them -- I can't tell.

There are regulations governing coach companies and where they keep their coaches -- they can't just leave them lying around in residential streets -- that saves them money which undercuts their competitors who run their operations properly.

After parking enforcement the Traffic Commissioner might be the next port of call