The City of Edinburgh Council has written to 6,500 households in the capital warning them about inconsiderate parking ahead of the introduction of tough new fines later this month.
Enforcement against parking on pavements, parking at dropped kerbs and double parking will begin in Edinburgh on 29 January, with £100 fines handed out to those who flout the ban.
National regulations giving councils the power to enforce the parking restriction came into effect last month, aiming to address the inconvenience caused by inconsiderate parking to road users including those with mobility issues, visual impairments, and people with pushchairs.
Following an assessment of more than 5,000 roads, city council officers identified streets where there is “significant pavement parking” and wrote to properties to “help them prepare for the measures”.
The council said 3,300 letters were sent to properties in red-listed streets and a further 3,200 in “amber streets”. In some streets, all homes were targeted with letters while in others only some properties were delivered to, in parts where problems were identified.
Once the ban is in place monitoring will continue to ascertain whether any of these streets require further measures such as double-yellow lines.
Cllr Scott Arthur, the city’s Transport and Environment Convener, said: “These new rules are about making our streets safer and more accessible for everyone, in particular those with visual impairments or mobility issues.
“I’ve heard from many people who say the change will make their day-to-day life much easier. I have also been pleased to hear that, as a result of our publicity campaign, pavement parking is already reducing in some areas.”
He added: “Officers have been working hard over recent months to prepare for the changes coming into force and have been in contact with residents on streets where pavement parking is a real problem.
“I am proud that Edinburgh is leading the way on enforcing the ban, and that all political parties here agree that no street should be exempt.
“I would expect everyone to adhere to the new prohibitions once in place, but we’ll continue to monitor streets across the city to make sure the impacts on the wider network are minimal.”
The Council collaborated with Living Streets and Guide Dogs Scotland to lobby for the introduction of controls in Scotland.
The prohibitions first featured in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, though the regulations required to support the enforcement and appeals procedures have only recently been finalised by Transport Scotland.
Anyone found to be parked on a pavement, double parked, parked at a crossing point or parked on a verge between roads and pavements could be subject to a £100 fine, reduced to £50 if paid within the first 14 days. There are no exemptions in place.
The council sent this letter to certain homes
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