Scots city becomes first outside London to ban pavement parking

EDINBURGH will become the first Scottish city to ban pavement parking.

Regulations on pavement parking are due to come into force on December 11 across the UK.

Parking on a pavement is currently only illegal in London but police are allowed to take action if a parked car is causing an obstruction.

And Edinburgh is set to begin enforcement in January 2024, according to .

Under new plans, drivers caught parking on the pavements in the capital will be issued with a fine.

Double parking and parking on dropped kerbs will also be banned but there will be an exception for delivery drivers.

The council said pavement parking has been a "persistent issue" across more than 500 streets across the city.

A survey conducted by the local authority found around 68 per cent of residents supported a ban.

But the council said no additional parking staff were being hired to enforce the new rule and they said there are currently enough legal parking spaces for drivers around the city.

Councillors are set to debate the new plans next week and they are expected to come into force early in the new year.

Cars and vans can cause problems with pedestrians and can be particularly challenging for disabled people and pushchairs.

Campaigners have now welcomed the move by the city's council.

Niall Foley, lead external affairs manager at Guide Dogs Scotland told the BBC: "Parking on pavements is a nuisance for everyone, but potentially dangerous if you are a wheelchair user forced onto the road, pushing a buggy, or have sight loss and can't see traffic coming towards you.

"When cars block the way, it undermines the confidence of people with a vision impairment to get out and about independently."

Stuart Hay, director of Living Streets Scotland, a charity promoting everyday walking has also backed the council's plans.

He added: "Edinburgh is taking the right approach to the enforcement of pavement parking, recognising that footways are for people, not parking spaces for cars."

In 2021, the Scottish Government passed a law giving local authorities the power to stop any pavement parking.

This legislation is expected to receive ministerial approval in December giving all local authorities freedom to enforce the ban.

Other council areas are also considering following Edinburgh's lead.

Councillors in South Lanarkshire have shown support for the ban but have yet to commit to implementing it.

They said car ownership is higher than the amount of legally available parking spaces in some residential streets.

And if it goes ahead, they said they would adopt a low-key "soft approach" considering the impact on drivers when issuing any enforcement.

Scottish Borders Council also held a consultation identifying areas where pavement parking is happening.

They said the information gathered will be used to implement a ban on a "case-by-case basis".