11 November 2023 , 10:51
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Edinburgh is set to completely ban cars from parking on the pavement - making it the first Scottish city to do so.
Anyone who mounts the curb while parking will face a £100 fine, and double parking and parking at dropped kerbs will also be banned under the new plans drawn by the city council. There will be an exemption for delivery drivers when the regulations come into force on December 11.
London is the only city across the UK where parking on the pavement is illegal - but in other cities police can take action if another driver is causing an obstruction. In 2021, the Scottish government followed suit when passing a law to allow local authorities to prevent pavement parking. Ministerial approval will go through in December, leaving all councils free to enforce the ban.
Parking had become one of the key issues for Edinburgh residents with the council describing it as a “persistent issue” on over 500 streets around the city. A strong majority of residents (68%) support the parking proposals, with pavement parking from cars and vans particularly causing trouble for disabled people and parents with pushchairs.
“Parking on pavements is a nuisance for everyone, but potentially dangerous if you are a wheelchair user forced onto the road, pushing a buggy, or have sight loss and can't see traffic coming towards you,” said Niall Foley, lead external affairs manager at Guide Dogs Scotland. “When cars block the way, it undermines the confidence of people with a vision impairment to get out and about independently.”
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Director of Living Streets Scotland Stuart Hay added that Edinburgh has taken the “right approach to the enforcement of pavement parking, recognising that footways are for people, not parking spaces for cars”, the BBC reported. Living Streets is a charity which promotes everyday walking.
No additional parking staff have been recruited to help enforce the ban - with the council claiming it isn’t necessary as there are enough legal parking spaces in the city. The plan will be debated by councillors next week and won’t be implemented until 2024. It is expected other councils might follow Edinburgh’s lead, including South Lanarkshire where councillors have suggested support for the ban - but haven’t committed to it.
Car ownership is higher than the amount of parking available in certain residential areas, councillors said. They will adopt a “soft approach”, ensuring the impact on drivers is considered when enforcing the new regulations.
A consultation was also carried out by Scottish Borders Council to identify the hotspots for pavement parking. They will consider implementing the ban on a “case-by-case-basis” based on the information they gather.