Dundee residents have had their say on pavement parking problems after the worst streets in the city were revealed.
The rules have been enforced since February 2024, with offenders handed £100 fines.
Some drivers have been fined as many as 13 times in the last 12 months for repeatedly parking on pavements.
Many of the streets where pavement parking is most prolific are lined with flats – with few parking spaces available.
Some are too narrow to accommodate cars on both sides of the road, such as Hepburn Street and Caird Terrace – the two streets where the most tickets have been issued.
With 138 and 134 fines handed out at these locations respectively, they were well ahead of the next-worst site at Greenmarket, on 80.
‘Don’t get me started on the parking around here’
When The Courier visited Hepburn Street, few people wanted to speak out about pavement parking issues.
However, one frustrated resident who was on her way to work – and who drives a car – argued it was difficult to find space near her home on most days.
She said: “Don’t get me started on the parking around here.
“It’s awful and the football traffic is a big issue because on Saturdays you just can’t get anywhere to park.
“I’ll leave at 1pm on a Saturday and it’s impossible to get parked when I come back again after 5pm.”
Restricted parking zones are also in place for two-hour periods on matchdays on several of the streets near Dens Park and Tannadice.
The Courier found plenty of examples of pavement parking on Arklay Terrace, which was 11th on the list with 51 fines issued in the last year.
One dog-walker told The Courier it was still a significant issue – but has sympathy for drivers.
He said: “There are cars parked on the pavement everywhere around here.
“It means I quite often have to walk on the road with the dog to avoid them.”
When asked if the pavement parking restrictions had helped, he replied: “Are you serious?
“Just look around. It’s not always the drivers’ fault because there is so little space.”
Cars fully parked on pavement opposite Dundee nursery
There were other clear instances of pavement parking on streets near Tannadice and Dens Park that did not make the top-30 list.
Several vehicles were also fully parked on the pavement opposite Coldside Nursery on Marryatt Street.
Cars and vans had been left in the same way on Fleming Gardens South.
A number of streets in the West End also featured highly on The Courier’s list of the worst spots, including Blackness Road, Rosefield Street and Perth Road.
Resident Margaret Yule told us she felt parked cars were making it harder to drive in the area.
She said: “Sometimes it can be difficult to see because someone will be parked here on the pavement or on the double yellows.
“It makes it difficult to pull out.
“Delivery drivers are particularly bad for it because they just park anywhere.”
Dozens of Courier readers have had their say on the pavement parking problems since our article was published.
Commenting on the story, ‘Johnny N’ called for the council to remove unused disabled parking spaces outside people’s homes to make room.
‘Tambodia’ complained that cars are parking on the pavement on Barnes Avenue and Forfar Road “every day”.
Calls to impound vehicles found parked on Dundee pavements
‘Tommo’ believes offenders should face harsher consequences, saying: “Get vehicles picked up and scrapped, this will sort it out.”
Others say offenders’ cars should be impounded.
While ‘The Trumpet’ said there was constant pavement parking on Strathmore Street and Milton Street.
However, some feel there needs to be more leniency in the rules.
On the Evening Telegraph Facebook page, Ellie Brown posted: “Some areas (bottom of Laird Street and Macalpine Road) should allow pavement parking.
“The pavements are more than wide enough to have half for parking and half for pedestrians.
“The cars parked in the road are a hazard.”
Carol Warner said: “In my street you have to park on the pavement because people takes up two spaces and you have no choice, it is a nightmare.”
But Alex Leith said: “The roads are for the cars the pavements are for the pedestrian, easy.”
And Charley Elder wrote: “It shouldn’t just be on certain streets, should be all streets.
“Wheelchair users have to go on the roads and so do parents with prams, it isn’t right at all if you’re only doing it for some streets.”
Advice for Dundee residents who want to report pavement parking
Councils have introduced pavement parking bans across Scotland to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians.
Pavement parking exemptions are in place on a small number of streets.
Dundee City Council says anyone who feels they would be blocking traffic by parking on the road should “park elsewhere”.
But it warns it is also an offence to block traffic and police may take action.
It also says it is “not appropriate” to allow cars to park on wide pavements when there is enough space to park on the carriageway.
Anyone who has concerns about a pavement parking hotspot can contact the council by emailing pavementparking@dundeecity.gov.uk with details on when the rules are being flouted.
The council says “parking attendants can then be deployed to that location if resources allow”.
- Have you been fined repeatedly for pavement parking? Email livenews@thecourier.co.uk
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