A Dundee resident has claimed there is a lack of disabled parking near the new vaccine clinic in the city centre.
The centre recently moved from Caird Hall to the former Zara on the High Street.
People reported queuing for up to an hour for their booster vaccines on Tuesday, while others refused to wait.
Issues were also reported in Perth.
NHS Tayside blamed “unplanned staff absences” however the queues reappeared down Commercial Street over the next few days.
Among those affected was Neil McLaren, who struggled to find disabled parking to take his elderly father, who walks with a stick, for his booster vaccine this week.
He also said he saw others get tickets for parking near the vaccine centre, where the queue still ran down the street.
Lack of disabled parking
Neil took his 86-year-old father, Ian McLaren, to get his booster vaccine on Wednesday.
He said: “I saw two cars park behind me near the top of Castle Street and a woman got out of one to take an older lady in a wheelchair to the vaccine centre.
“As soon as they left, the parking attendants put tickets on their cars.
“I spoke to them and they said it was a loading bay but it’s all worn out — it doesn’t even say that it’s a loading bay, it’s just cracked white lines.”
When the lady returned with her elderly mother, Neil told her what happened and she took photos of the tickets and space to contest the ticket.
He added: “I saw another couple with an elderly man and as soon as they got him into the wheelchair, the traffic wardens told them to move. I was shocked.
“You should’ve seen the queues, it’s an absolute shambles.
“It definitely got worse after moving from Caird Hall.”
Due to the lack of parking, Neil, 56, said he was forced to park on the yellow lines near the top of Castle Street.
‘You’ll be lucky if he gets out by then’
Traffic wardens reportedly told him at 3.20pm that he had until 4.30pm to move as he waited for his elderly father to return from the vaccine centre.
There is dedicated disabled parking for the centre in Castle Street but Neil thinks this is too far away for people with mobility issues.
“They actually said to me ‘you’ll be lucky if he is out by 4:30pm’,” said Neil.
“For an older or disabled person, that’s some distance to walk.
“A lot of the people who will be going in for their boosters won’t be able to walk.
“He was out of breath when he got back and it was just before half past.
“I blame it on the council. It’s a big oversight on their part.
“What is going on? People can’t park, people are getting tickets, and there’s huge queues.”
The new booster clinic opened its doors to queues of people above the age of 70 on Monday.
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “When the vaccine centre was moved to the Zara shop it was stated that ‘to avoid congestion around the city centre, anyone attending the vaccination centre by car is being asked to use Gellatly Street and Greenmarket car parks.
“Blue Badge parking and a drop-off area are both available on Castle Street.'”
NHS Tayside confirmed that the parking issue is a council matter.