Pavement parking rules hit 27,000 motorists but enforcement is down to ‘postcode lottery’

Scottish councils have handed out more than 27,000 pavement parking fines in the first year since new powers came into force.

However, analysis from The Sunday Post reveals a patchwork of enforcement across the country, with residents facing a postcode lottery over which rules are being applied.

The ban on pavement ­parking, including double parking and blocking kerbs, was introduced to make streets more accessible for pedestrians – especially people with disabilities or parents pushing buggies and prams.

Experts say the powers are ­making streets safer where they are being fully enforced but warn inconsistent approaches are causing confusion.

Freedom of Information requests sent to every local authority area in Scotland reveal the number of fines issued between February 28, 2024, when new powers came into effect, and the same date earlier this year.

A total of 27,403 pavement parking fines were handed out during this period, meaning councils raked in between £1.4 million and £2.7m depending on how quickly they were paid.

Standard fines are set at £100 but can be cut in half if the recipient pays early.

North Ayrshire had the highest number of any council in Scotland, racking up a staggering 8,453 in one calendar year.

Edinburgh was close behind with 8,258 parking fines issued, while Dundee recorded 3,221. Aberdeen had 2,148, Angus had 1,448 and Glasgow had 874. Drivers in the Highland Council area received 864 fines, while there were a further 841 in Stirling, 776 in Midlothian and 525 in Perth & Kinross.

Of Scotland’s 32 council areas, only 10 were able to provide details of fines issued, with many yet to implement the new powers.

A number told us they intend to introduce “soft approaches” rather than handing out fines, while some officials appeared to be confused about what powers they have.

Aberdeenshire Council told us it has “encountered some difficulties” in setting up pavement parking notices so is not currently able to issue them.

South Lanarkshire introduced the powers in January but said it is ­taking the “soft approach” of ­handing out warning leaflets for first-time offenders.

Dumfries & Galloway Council said it prefers an “initial approach of education before enforcement” and so is also not issuing fines.

Pavement parking notices came into effect in Angus and Renfrewshire after the dates specified in the Freedom of Information request.

Chris Thompson, programme manager of Living Streets Scotland, said the ban on pavement parking is making streets safer and more attractive in places where it is being “properly enforced”. He pointed to the example of Edinburgh, where he said enforcement of the ban is making a real difference to the people most affected by this “dangerous act” and has seen drivers modify their parking habits and fewer Penalty Charge Notices issued.

Thompson added: “We urge all local authorities to implement the ban properly and ensure plans are in place for enforcement, so that everyone in Scotland can benefit from safer streets wherever they live, work or visit.

“Inconsistent approaches cause confusion, and a lack of enforcement means our streets continue to be inaccessible for wheelchair users, young families with pushchairs and people living with sight loss.”

Catriona Burness, Scotland policy manager for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said the charity had been informed by Transport Scotland that 20 councils are actively enforcing the ban.

That is despite 13 councils stating outright in their Freedom of Information responses that they are not currently using the powers.

Burness said: “The success of the pavement parking ban in Scotland relies on local authorities monitoring and enforcing the ban and members of the public adhering to the law.

“We are continuing to monitor the roll-out of the pavement parking ban and to call for its enforcement.”

Council bosses in Dundee sparked anger last month by refusing to reveal how many of the city’s worst pavement parking offenders have paid their fines – claiming the information is “private”.

The authority previously confirmed the driver of a black Audi had been fined 13 times in just 12 months for parking on pavements on Saggar Street and North Court Street in the city. Meanwhile, the driver of a red Peugeot had been fined 12 times for parking on pavements on Hepburn Street.

But the council argued that revealing whether or not those involved had actually paid the fines “very clearly relates to an individual’s ­private life, being their finances” and that “the disclosure of this information could cause unjustified harm”.

© Kath Flannery

The Scottish Conservatives’ justice spokesman, Liam Kerr, said: “Decriminalised enforcement was meant to protect parents with ­buggies and people using wheelchairs or other mobility aids, across the whole of Scotland.

“But we can see from the data that many councils are struggling to find the time and resources to apply the scheme evenly, if at all.

“Decriminalisation moved responsibility from the overstretched and underfunded Police Scotland to similarly toiling local authorities.

“That’s a classic SNP strategy: announce and forget, then let someone else deal with the fallout.

“Some councils don’t even seem to know they have the powers for enforcement.

“Scottish Ministers need to look at this data and come up with a solution that helps councils make enforcement equitable and applicable for all.”