Priority parking needed to stop city streets being used as park and ride

Calls have been made for a priority parking scheme to be rolled out in a corner of Edinburgh to halt commuters and holiday-makers using streets as a “park and ride”.

Locals have long-complained about people heading to Edinburgh Airport for holidays leaving their vehicles on narrow streets for weeks, while some commuters park up in Corstorphine to avoid charges in the city centre.

St John’s Road, which cuts through the centre of Corstophine, is one of the most polluted routes in Scotland and emergency vehicles have on 0 Alex Cole-hamilton backed the proposals for parking

occasion struggled to meander through narrow side streets.

Local Conservative Councillor Scott Douglas, said: “For too long many drivers have used Corstorphine as a park and ride. This has led to many residents struggling to park on their own streets, with some cars left for weeks as their owners go on holiday.”

A priority parking scheme has already been rolled out in other parts of the city and is less formal and cheaper for motorists than the zonal parking permits used in the city centre.

Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-hamilton, backed the proposals: “Parking in Corstorphine has been a problem with both commuters and holiday-makers for many years now.”

Edinburgh Council said: “We are investigating measures to improve parking.”