Leeds is so overcrowded with cars that motorists are parking on the pavement

As the efficiency of Leeds' public transport is being increasingly called into question, thousands of commuters are using their cars to make the journey into the city centre each day.

But with the roads not built to withstand the amount of cars, traffic is often congested with 20 minute journeys taking as long as an hour.

But it's not just the roads that are gridlocked.

Motorists are so pushed for places to park, vehicles are now spilling onto the pavements, too.

This car has been seen parking on the pavement on Whitehall Road, pushing pedestrians into the main road.

Arthur Stafford, who tweeted a picture of the car in question, wrote: "The wide pavements on Whitehall Road are increasingly being used as car parks so that pedestrians are forced to squeeze between cars or walk on the road".

Parking on pavements is not currently illegal outside of London, although pressure is mounting on ministers to change this due to blocked pavements presenting a safety hazard to pedestrians.

However, Leeds City Council has said "this is a frequent issue" and has urged people to report cases of bad parking to [email protected] to arrange enforcement officers for the area.

Rob Greenland, who is a passionate campaigner for active travel and against unnecessary car use in Leeds, said: "People parking on pavements causes all sorts of issues for people walking around Leeds.

"If a pavement is blocked it means people end up walking in the road - and that's a particular issue for children getting around on their own, parents with pushchairs and people in wheelchairs.

"It can also make crossing the road more dangerous as people's view of the road can be blocked by parked cars. Again, this impacts particularly on children.

"It's illegal to park on the pavement in London but not in the rest of England - but there's talk of changing that. I think that can't come too soon."