Angus roads chiefs are to look again at the pavement parking ban on one of Carnoustie’s busiest streets.
It comes amidst claims Barry Road has become the “dodgems” since vehicles were banned from the wide pavements on parts of the street.
Some locals say their cars have already suffered damage after being clipped by passing traffic.
And pedestrians, parents with buggies and mobility scooter users now have to cross the road between parked cars.
But others have welcomed the new rules for slowing down speeders on the busy stretch.
What is Barry Road issue?
There is a wide pavement on parts of Barry Road which residents previously used to park outside their homes.
Pavement parking rules which came into force in Angus on May 27 mean they must now park on the road.
A number of Angus locations were exempted from the new legislation before it was introduced by the council.
But Barry Road was not one of the Carnoustie streets where it was decided the ban would not apply.
A pavement parking fine is £100.
What do locals say?
Critics of the change have flooded social media with comments and say it’s made Barry Road “like the dodgems”.
“It’s an absolute joke,” said one resident.
Another said their vehicle had already been damaged.
“Please slow down before more cars are damaged or pedestrians hurt,” they added.
“I am trying to figure out how it makes it better for folk with prams, buggies, mobility scooters, etc. who now have to squeeze between cars parked on the road to cross and have to negotiate moving traffic whilst on the actual road.”
Another said: “It is a nightmare. Caused by stupid rules.
But others welcome the changes.
“It’s not the road that’s an issue, it’s the drivers,” said one.
And another added: “On the bright side, maybe people will drive slower along it now. It’s not a race track.”
“If the issue is traffic flow then you could consider reducing the width of the pavement and create parking bays, or place double yellow lines down one side of the road,” said another local.
“If your argument is based on safety then the decision to stop cars parking on the pavement, designed for pedestrians, was correct.”
What is Angus Council going to do?
Local councillors have been flooded with comments from all sides of the Barry Road debate.
A site visit is being planned with roads officials to see the parking situation, said Councillor Brian Boyd.
Councillor David Cheape raised Barry Road in the early stages of the exemption process because of the unusually wide pavement on parts of it.
But roads officers turned the request down.
“The idea of a white line along the pavement still allowing sufficient passing for walkers, wheelchairs, prams etc, I believe, is more than sensible,” he said.
“That said, the carriageway of Barry Road is not particularly narrow and at approximately 7.3 metres at its narrowest, is in fact slightly wider than most residential streets.
“In recognising however that it is a main thoroughfare and has considerable traffic, we have had complaints about speeding cars for many years and thus parked cars or semi-parked cars will help to slow traffic.
“Objectors make mention of the width of the pavement on Barry Road. The key factor in the assessment, however, is the road width and whether or not it can accommodate traffic when vehicles are parked on the road.
“This clearly is the case for Barry Road.”
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