Two more councils enforce Scottish Government's pavement parking ban

Two more Scottish councils have begun enforcing a ban on pavement parking, designed to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians.

Perth and Kinross and South Lanarkshire Councils are now enforcing the Scottish Government’s national pavement parking ban.

It has been designed to try and improve road safety – particularly for pedestrians with disabilities and those pushing prams and buggies.

Jon Attenborough, 35, lives in Perth with his guide dog, Sam. He hopes enforcement can raise awareness of the issues it can cause for visually-impaired people.

Jon hopes the ban being enforced in his area will stop him having to follow his guide dog out on to busy roads. STV News

He said: “It’s a particular problem when me and Sam are out and about in places we’re not so familiar with.

“I don’t think people do it on purpose, I think it’s just that they’re maybe not aware of the problems it can cause.

“It’s been great to see it raise awareness amongst drivers in places like Dundee and Edinburgh, so I definitely welcome it coming to my area as well.”

Under the ban, drivers can face fines of up to £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days STV News

The Scottish Government gave local authorities the powers to issue fines to drivers who parked on pavements at the end of 2023, but it has been implemented at different times throughout the country.

Under the ban, drivers can be fined up to £100, but this is reduced to £50 if the penalty is paid within 14 days.

Emergency services, postal and delivery vehicles are among those which are exempt.

Eric Drysdale, Perth and Kinross Council’s deputy leader, said: “We’ve taken a careful approach. We wanted to see what happened in other areas and learn any lessons that were there to be learnt.

Councillor Eric Drysdale, Perth and Kinross Council's deputy leader, says they have — Councillor Eric Drysdale, Perth and Kinross Council’s deputy leader, says they have “learnt lessons” from other areas STV News

“We’ve had a soft-launch, issuing warning notices to drivers over the last couple of months and a significant public awareness campaign.

“We want people to park legally – it’s not about raising funds or anything like that. This is about public safety and hopefully everybody complies for the benefit of the whole population.”