Protesters demanding safer roads after the tragic death of a three year old girl who was hit by a car at a "dangerous" zebra crossing.
Today, activists with gather in Redding Lane, blocking pavements and reporting obtrusive parking to the police in an effort to draw attention to what they believe to be a dangerous section of road. Campaigners are arguing that pavement parking was a contributing factor to the death of toddler Maysoon Abdul-Hakeem in November 2021 who was killed after being hit by a car on a zebra crossing at the site. Driver Labib Choudhury, 25, later pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention.
Local campaign groups Friends of Reddings Lane Park and Better Streets for Birmingham say unsafe parking on the side of the road is still happening and are demanding that action be taken against offenders through increased civil enforcement, the erection of bollards in the area and a change in rules by the next government that would outlaw the practice completely.
Starting at 2pm today, demonstrators will stand on the pavement nearby a local school and plan to report any drivers thought to be parking dangerously or obtrusively to the police, hoping to rack up points and fines for perpetrators. Reddings Lane, which serves three different schools, should be designated as a school zone, they argue, which would see it closed to vehicles at pick up and drop off times.
Farina Chaudri is Chair of campaign group Friends of Reddings Lane Park told BirminghamLive that their fight for road safety in the area is nothing new. "Since 2018, we have tirelessly worked alongside the council, the police and now schools, pouring our hearts and souls into advocating for safer roads in our community," she said.
The Chair of the group, which is working with local schools to reduce the dangers pupils face from cars and busy roads at the beginning and end of the school day, said: "We have witnessed the escalating safety concerns first-hand, from reckless speeding to the lack of safe crossings for our children. The pain and sorrow only intensified when a precious child lost their life on the zebra crossing in 2021.
"But what truly breaks our hearts is the sight of drivers even till today, casually parking on pavements, oblivious to the risks they are imposing on others. Every day, we witness the chaos caused by these thoughtless actions. Pavements are blocked, drivers are obstructed, and pedestrians are left vulnerable to the dangers of oncoming traffic.
"It's a heart-wrenching reality that we cannot ignore any longer. Together with Better Streets, we strongly urge all drivers to take a moment to consider the impact of their actions. Don't be the driver who callously plonks their car on the pavement, endangering the lives of cyclists, pedestrians, and children. Let's come together as a community to put an end to this reckless behaviour and ensure the safety of all who share our roads."
Kirsten de Vos is the campaigns manager at Better Streets for Birmingham and echoed a similar sentiment: "Too many people are driving and parking illegally and dangerously on roads near schools. Better Streets for Birmingham are highlighting the threat this poses to children. No child should be at risk of death or serious injury walking or cycling to or from school. We want everyone to get about our city safely."
Better Streets for Birmingham is a road safety campaign group that began in 2022. Now with several hundred members, the group organised street demonstration across the city in dangerous driving hotspots and in response to car accidents.