A van, left unattended in a layby, is a danger to children getting the bus - is this legal?

A local trader parked and left his unattended, small van in a local lay-by in order to advertise his business, which is emblazoned on the side of the van. Although the van was parked inside the lay-by (so not poking out into the road), it was parked perpendicular to the carriageway, presumably to maximise sight of the trader's business details. This lay-by is a school bus pick-up point for my daughter on this rural road with a 50mph speed limit. The trader's van meant the school bus could not stop safely this morning; in effect the parking of the van made the lay-by half as long as it would otherwise have been. I wrote an email to the trader with attached picture and suggested he was risking the safety of others as a consequence of his actions. He wrote back a rude email stating he had a legal right to park in the lay-by and in the perpendicular orientation as well. Is he correct about his legal rights?

Asked on 26 May 2017 by dodder14

Answered by Honest John
Presumably, this trader has no children. Complain to the local authority asking for the layby to be upgraded to a bus stop (which it appears to be) because the parking of the trader's van is endangering the lives of the children both in the school bus and when embarking and disembarking. Even though the trader's van is parked legally, it would also need to be MoT'd, taxed and insured, which it probably is, but might not be.
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