Perth and Kinross Council has performed a partial climbdown after complaints that the ”Unfair City” had hit weekend jubilee partygoers with massive parking fines.
Dozens of shocked people returned to their cars at a park-and-ride on the city outskirts to discover they had been targeted by council wardens who had slapped £60 tickets on their cars during Saturday’s bash.
The council had laid on free buses for the thousands descending on the event but, with space at a premium, many had parked outside bays and on grass verges.
They went on to enjoy a parade of 1,000 pipers, a musical extravaganza and a kilt run world record attempt in the biggest public event in the city in recent times.
But high spirits were quickly crushed for some when they returned to their vehicles.
A pair of wardens had been sent to the car park and 53 tickets had been issued, meaning the council could rake in more than £3,000.
Dennis Wells, a council worker from Glasgow, said: ”I heard about the event at the start of the year and, because I’d just started jogging, decided the kilt run would be something to aim for because it was a world record attempt.
”I came up from Glasgow on the morning and got to the car park about 1 o’clock, an hour before the start of the run. I had to park on a verge but it wasn’t dangerous and not in anyone’s way and then got on the bus.
”It was a fantastic event and people had a lot of fun, but what a slap in the mouth to get when you get back. The irony is I was booked into the Station Hotel and could have got free parking there but all the publicity said to use the park-and-ride.
”Is it too cynical to suggest the tickets are now paying for the free buses? I came to help beat a world record, raise cash for charity and put money into the economy. Will I be back? What do you think?”
Andy Stephen, from Fochabers, said: “Ten of us took part in the kilt race and afterwards we spent some time in the city centre before returning to the park-and-ride facility at Broxden. We’d decided to use this service to avoid creating problems in the centre of Perth on what was obviously going to be a busy day.
“The park-and-ride at Broxden was extremely busy and there was no one present in the morning to indicate what alternatives there were when it was full but everyone parked carefully and no one appeared to be blocked in and there was no impact on access for buses.
“Surely a bit of common sense could have been used rather than unleashing a parking attendant late in the day and leaving those involved with a bad taste in their mouth?”
Murdo Fraser MSP had called for the council to cancel the tickets, saying: “The council need to review this situation as the public listened to the council’s advice and used the park-and-ride buses. It would be a fitting gesture of goodwill for the Queen’s jubilee if these parking tickets were waived on this occasion.”
After the storm of protest, Perth and Kinross Council confirmed some tickets will be cancelled but those who blocked in other vehicles and access for buses will still have to pay up.
A spokesman said: “After consideration of this matter the council has decided that penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued to vehicles that were blocking access will stand.
“As a one-off gesture, PCNs issued to vehicles that were parked outside marked bays or on grass verges, and which were not causing a problem, will be cancelled. The council has photographic evidence to go with each ticket issued.”
The parking office can be contacted on 01738 477212.