Hopes are high that irresponsible drivers “get a lot of tickets” when parking fines come back to the streets of Angus.
Burgh councillors have been inundated with complaints since Police Scotland withdrew its traffic wardens in February 2014, leaving short-stay spaces and yellow lines up for grabs in a town centre free-for-all.
A meeting of the full council in Forfar rubber-stamped the return of decriminalised parking enforcement by local authority staff, with a hope that Scottish Ministers will allow for an April 1 start date.
Council staff such as community wardens would have the authority to issue £60 fines.
And the meeting of full council heard the set-up costs are being met from £130,000 set aside in this year’s budget.
Committee convener Donald Morrison said: “I’m sure members will be delighted to finally see this report coming forward.
“Hopefully next April enforcement will commence in tackling bad, overstayed, and illegal parking in Angus.
“We have all had many complaints since the traffic warden service was withdrawn by Police Scotland and although police officers have been ticketing cars parked on double yellow lines when they could, you can only do so much when you have other duties.”
Arbroath councillor David Fairweather said he saw parking in High Street and Keptie Street as particularly problematic, with choke points caused by motorists who give “no thought to anyone else.”
“I’m sure an awful lot of people will be happy to see this coming back, he continued.
“I hope that a lot of the irresponsible drivers, who are going about and parking willy-nilly, get a lot of tickets.”
Council leader Iain Gaul said that he was pleased with the prospect of reintroducing enforcement, but said the timetable and April 1 start date would be down to Transport Scotland and government ministers.
Montrose councillor David May said the withdrawal by Police Scotland “made a mess of parking in our towns.”
“It was away back in February 2014 that they withdrew traffic wardens in our towns, and we weren’t given much advanced warning about it,” he said.
“Some businesses in our high streets are suffering quite badly because people are parking on double yellows and also staying in short-time limited spaces.”
Kirriemuir councillor Ronnie Proctor said he hopes further steps will be taken to combat parking on pavements, which Councillor Morrison said was being looked into at Holyrood.
