A BAN on vehicles driving on to pavements in WGC town centre could soon be in place.

Back in December the WHT said enough was enough and called on both Welwyn Hatfield Council and Herts County Council to stop the relentless onslaught of commercial vehicles driving on Howardsgate.

As well as the cosmetic damage the trucks and vans were causing, the potential danger for the elderly and vulnerable to trip and fall and the continuous cost for repairs, were all given as reasons for a change.

This week, a joint proposal by both councils has been put forward, calling on a total ban 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on vehicles driving on footways and verges in the vicinity of the Howard Centre, Fretherne Road, Church Road, Stonehills, Wigmores North and Howardsgate.

Hertfordshire Highways assistant engineer Mark Farmer said: “Vehicles driving over and parking on footways and verges in these areas have been observed to cause damage to kerbs, paving slabs, soft verges and can cause obstruction and risk to pedestrians.

“The scheme would make parking or the loading/unloading of a vehicle on the footway or verge in these areas illegal.”

A consultation is now taking place with businesses in the area.

A county council added the scheme was expected to be in place by the end of this financial year in April 2012.