Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
New parking rules?
Council calls for change in law to target motorists
COUNCIL chiefs in Dundee have called for a change to parking laws, claiming penalty charge notices are “no longer a deterrent” for inconsiderate motorists.
The council wants all local authorities in Scotland to implement and enforce parking laws.
This includes an increased financial penalty for antisocial parking, in particular people who park in places such as bus stops, disabled spaces, loading bays and school zones.
The council’s stance is laid out in a report to councillors, detailing its response to a Scottish Government consultation on parking laws.
The council’s response stated: “Problems with footway parking are reported daily by residents whose progress is impeded by vehicles obstructing the footway.
“This has been reported to Police Scotland, whose position is that, unless the footway is completely blocked, it is unwilling to take any action. Dropped kerbs and double parking pose similar problems.
“The single-charge penalty charge notice is too simplistic and is no longer a deterrent.
“A new Parking Scotland Act should correct this and allow an increased charge for antisocial parking.”
The council wants “decriminalised parking enforcement” to be rolled out, where private companies take action against motorists on behalf of public authorities.
The response added: “Where decriminalised parking enforcement is not in place, a traffic warden service should be provided by Police Scotland as a part of a Parking Scotland Act.”
Councillor Lynne Short, the local authority’s city development convener, said: “Parking has been a contentious issue in the past, particularly pavement parking and parking near schools. The Tele has covered these issues quite regularly and the safety of children is obviously very important.
“This is about improving public protection, and any way we can do that by providing a bigger deterrent is to be welcomed.”