Wardens to enforce parking regulations

Selfish parkers to be hammered with fines

Traffic wardens will be back patrolling Airdrie and Coatbridge town centres in three weeks’ time.

North Lanarkshire Council’s decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) scheme is to begin on September 19, when £60 penalty charge notices will be issued to motorists parking on yellow lines.

Infrastructure convener Michael McPake stressed that there are no changes to current regulations; but that the change means drivers flouting parking, waiting and loading rules – set out by single and double yellows, kerb markings and street signs – will now be penalised.

The Glenboig councillor (right) said: “The rules haven’t changed so if you park responsibly, you won’t see any difference. However, the scheme allows us to take action against inconsiderate drivers who break the rules.

“DPE simply means that the council will now enforce parking rules in our town centres, instead of Police Scotland.

“The scheme has clear benefits for everyone who uses town centres – it encourages drivers to park safely and correctly, increases turnover of spaces for shoppers, makes it easier for delivery vehicles to access businesses, and improves road safety.

“We believe it will open up more spaces for shoppers who want to park for a short time, which in turn will encourage more people into our town centres and help businesses.”

Enforcement of current restrictions has declined since the police warden service was withdrawn seven years ago, with councillors previously being told: “This has resulted in a rise in indiscriminate parking”.

Now the £60 fixed penalty charge notices will be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days; and five jobs have been created, with the recruitment of four parking attendants and a supervisor.

Mobile teams will patrol town centres to enforce yellow-line restrictions such as prohibited parking and waiting and loading periods, plus cracking down on misuse of disabled bays and overstaying maximum time limits.

Councillors of all parties showed their support for DPE when it was last discussed at their infrastructure committee meeting in February, having received Scottish Government approval for its implementation in North Lanarkshire.

Depu te provost Tom Castles, the Coatbridge South representative, had asked: “How quickly can we get this started? Parking in this council is totally out of control. I’ve never seen so much selfish parking in any other area – parking in disabled bays, engines left running. It’s absolutely necessary and something that’s been missing for a number of years.” Council leader Jim Logue said: “It’s in all our interests to get DPE to areas that are adversely affected and there’s crossparty support”; while Airdrie Central ward colleague David Stocks, the SNP group leader, agreed: “It can’t come quick enough. This group is 100 per cent behind decriminalised parking enforcement; but what we’re against is car parking charges.” David Cullen, the Airdrie North Conservative councillor, noted: “I wholeheartedly agreed it needs to be introduced, but it needs to act as a deterrent, not a moneymaking scheme.”