Claims that Fife Council’s new parking attendants have been “disproportionate and over-zealous” in their issuing of parking tickets “do not stack up”, according to a West Fife Labour councillor.
Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay councillor Lesley Laird, suggested that rather than being upset, the majority of the public would be pleased that illegal parking was being tackled pro-actively.
The Courier told on Wednesday how a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Kirkcaldy MSP David Torrance suggested that in a single month this summer, the cash-strapped council has issued 55% of the total number of parking tickets issued for the whole of the previous year.
Mr Torrance believes the council is shamelessly using shoppers and commuters as a “revenue earner”, and that the massive increase is proof of this.
However, Fife Council is adamant the figures have been taken “out of context” and do not compare like for like.
The council says the figure quoted by the police only includes tickets they issued for on-street parking breaches and does not include the number of tickets by Fife Council in that time.
The council says the figure for the whole of Fife for the first two months of the new system is 2,300, roughly in line with the monthly average.
Ms Laird said: “Further to Mr Torrance’s FOI request I am somewhat surprised that he appears to be defending people parking illegally and attempting to dress this up as Fife Council attacking shoppers quite frankly his argument does not stack up.
“If you listen to local people in towns and villages up and down Fife one of the main issues they raise is about poor and unsafe parking behaviour.
“Ask the wheelchair user who regularly finds that someone has illegally parked in the designated disabled space, or on the pavement, which hampers their progress and results in them often having to wait until the driver comes back and moves their car.
“Mums with pushchairs will tell you that it’s a regular occurrence trying to navigate their way on pavements as nvariably they will encounter drivers who think it’s OK to park on the pavement leaving pedestrians with little option but to go on to the road with pram and often another child in tow.
“So too, at drop off points for schools this is always a key issue for local residents and parents concerned about the safety of their children.
“As Superintendent Milton pointed out in the (Courier) article, community traffic wardens previously carried out many police-related roles in addition to parking enforcement.
“Unfortunately this often resulted in bad parking behaviour going unchecked. I know in my ward Dalgety Bay residents and parents have raised concerns about parking at schools.
“In Inverkeithing and Aberdour residents have also raised parking issues on a regular basis and they have welcomed the visible and active presence of the traffic wardens in their area.
“Perhaps Mr Torrance could better assist his constituents by offering them some advice on good parking etiquette rather than condoning poor parking behaviour and attacking council workers doing their job.”
One Fife parking attendant, who asked not to be named, said: “For every one person that has a go at me for giving them a ticket, there will be 20 who applaud me.
“We are also regularly applauded by business people who are pleased to have got their parking spaces back.
“It’s always going to be a difficult job, but it’s not at all like how Mr Torrance is portraying us. We are not evil people giving out tickets willy-nilly.”