Edinburgh council sets date for pavement parking ban coming into force in Edinburgh this month

The ban comes into force this month.

The council has set a date for Edinburgh’s pavement parking ban which will come into force later this month.

Parking attendants will have powers to issue £100 fines from Monday, January 29 for vehicles parked on pavements, at crossing points, next to dropped kerbs or double-parked. The crackdown is aimed at stopping drivers ‘recklessly’ blocking pavements and making streets safer particularly for people with mobility problems or visual impairment, as well as parents with push-chairs and people using wheelchairs.

Edinburgh is the first local authority in Scotland to implement a complete ban on pavement parking under new legislation which came into effect on December 11.

Photo: Lisa Ferguson

Letters were sent out in December to thousands of residents, warning them about the ban on pavement parking. Following an assessment of more than 5000 roads officers identified a small number of streets where there is significant pavement parking and wrote to these properties to help them prepare for the measures.

Once the ban is in place monitoring will continue to ascertain whether any of these streets require mitigation measures, such as double-yellow lines, to minimise potential negative impacts on the wider road network.

Councillor Scott Arthur, transport and environment convener, said: “These new rules are about making our streets safer and more accessible for everyone, in particular those with visual impairments or mobility issues. I’ve heard from many people who say the change will make their day-to-day life much easier. I have also been pleased to hear that, as a result of our publicity campaign, pavement parking is already reducing in some areas.

“Officers have been working hard over recent months to prepare for the changes coming into force and have been in contact with residents on streets where pavement parking is a real problem. I am proud that Edinburgh is leading the way on enforcing the ban, and that all political parties here agree that no street should be exempt. I would expect everyone to adhere to the new prohibitions once in place, but we’ll continue to monitor streets across the city to make sure the impacts on the wider network are minimal.”