Drivers in Kirkcaldy town centre are being warned to obey the rules of the road.
Three people have been issued with fixed penalty notices following a recent clampdown by police, with a leading officer saying there are no excuses for ignoring the law.
Inspector Alan Seath said his officers have been keeping an eye on drivers ignoring the one-way system on Tolbooth Street and have also been monitoring blue badge parking on the pedestrianised stretch of the High Street.
The enforcement has followed calls by town councillor Neil Crooks to tackle claims of blue badge misuse in the town’s main shopping precinct, as well as the danger posed by drivers ignoring the one-way system.
Inspector Seath told The Courier: “I can confirm that during December three people were issued with fixed penalty tickets and one reported to the Procurator Fiscal having failed to comply with a no entry sign on Tolbooth Street.
“Thirteen people were warned prior to this, during the education stage and companies had letters sent out to allow them to make the drivers aware.”
Concerns had been raised over the number of vehicles parking in the pedestrianised area of the High Street during the busy Christmas shopping period.
However, police carried out regular checks on parked cars and said there was no suggestion of blue badges being swapped or abused by owners.
Keen to ensure the zone is used responsibly, Inspector Seath added: “There is sufficient disabled parking in the car parks surrounding the High Street and we would ask drivers to use these, where possible, to reduce the congestion and risk to pedestrians.
“Police Scotland will enforce where offences are identified and this will be via fixed penalty tickets carrying three penalty points and a £100 fine.”
Responding to the news, Mr Crooks said: “I think the police approach was perhaps fair but now their presence has been felt, it seems the abuse has slowed.
“There have been some on-the-spot fines and it looks like the police will continue to take action against perpetrators in the future, which we should all welcome.”
Picture by George McLuskie