Guernsey pavement driving blamed on bigger cars and narrow roads

Both island governments say historic road layouts make change difficult.

Jersey’s head of highways, transport and infrastructure, Tristen Dodd, says not only do larger, heavier cars damage the roads, they present challenges in 50-year-old car parks that weren’t made for such wide cars.

“It’s a heritage road network. It is built up heavily on most sides of the road, so the scope to actually change that infrastructure is limited. What we can do is change how it’s used,” he adds.

Jersey points to investment in buses, active travel and road safety schemes as a possible solution.

Adrian Gabriel, Guernsey deputy and president of the committee for the environment and infrastructure, says policies encourage smaller, lower-emission vehicles better suited to island roads, including dedicated parking spaces.

“As private vehicles, especially SUVs, grow wider, these vehicles are likely to have a greater impact than in larger jurisdictions,” he adds.

As for pavement surfing, Le Brun believes one-way roads could provide a solution in some areas.

“There’s a lot of conflict on our roads because we’re trying to prioritise two-way vehicle movements over the safety of people,” he says.

“Things do have to change. [Drivers] cannot be bouncing up on the pavement and thinking that that’s normal – because it’s not normal.”

Additional reporting by Robert Hall and Charlotte Cox