Dundee residents in streets plagued with pavement parking have their say on ban

Drivers in Dundee will soon be facing fines of up to £100 as a new ban on pavement parking comes into effect.

Next month Dundee City Council will be handed fresh powers under the Scottish Government’s Transport (Scotland) Act.

This means that from December 11 the local authority will be able to dish out fines to drivers whose vehicles are found to have one or more wheels touching the pavement.

The ban appears to have the support of Courier readers, with a recent survey showing the majority (52%) were in favour of it being introduced.

But what do those living in or near areas plagued by pavement parking think of the new legislation?

‘I feel sorry for parents’

The Courier headed to Ancrum Drive, just off Tullideph Road, where the problem has been a long-standing issue.

And grandmother Veronica Bremner told us she welcomed the ban.

Veronica – on the school run with her two granddaughters Lacey and Stella, nine and six respectively – believes it will make the area safer for kids going to the local school.

She said: “I think it would benefit the whole of Ancrum Drive because if you go along the street, they are parked along both sides of the street.

“It’s so difficult to get down. They should either make it one way (for parking) or introduce double-yellows.

“I feel sorry for parents though because there isn’t a great deal of parking here.

“However it’s just not safe.

“You can’t get past and even with two kids, they will have to walk in front of each other.”

Barbara Sturrock was also on the school run and had to navigate Ancrum Road whilst pushing a buggy.

The 64-year-old said: “You want the children to walk to school eventually and this whole road is covered with cars on pavements.

“They could reverse into kids because they are very small, so kids can’t come to school on their own.”

The legislation does, however, allow councils to exclude some streets from enforcement so long as it meets one of two conditions.

And a consultation is currently being carried out by Dundee City Council on which streets in the city could be exempt.

Barbara added: “They have to do something and I suppose it depends on each area (if they will be able to enforce the ban).

“I’m a carer so it might make it awkward for us trying to get to some of our clients but if you think about the schools, maybe they can encourage them to park in the car park.”

‘It’s not right’

Dogwalker Derek Biggans was scathing in his assessment of the current pavement parking situation.

Speaking for the Stooshie podcast, the 70-year-old said: “It’s an absolute nightmare.

“By 5pm you’ve got no chance of getting parked unless you park on the pavement.

“But when these houses were built, they weren’t built for the amount of cars that are here now.

“And if you can’t get parked here, where can you go? Even if you try up at the main road (Ancrum Road) you’ll have difficulty.

“They will enforce the ban because it’s another way of getting money but in places where you have no choice (but to park on the pavement) it’s not right.”

The pavement parking ban will enforced by a council parking enforcement officer or traffic warden.

But Neil Dalgleish, 72, questioned how effective the enforcement could be across the whole city.

He added: “I think the ban is a good idea.

“But it will take quite a lot of people to enforce it.”