Edinburgh trams: Parking bays on route of extension could be removed after bad parking blocks tracks

36 cases of trams being delayed by badly parked vehicles since line to Newhaven opened in June

Parking bays along the route of Edinburgh’s tram extension could be removed to help tackle the problem of parked cars obstructing the tramline.

In the first six months since trams started running on the line from the city centre to Newhaven in June last year, there have been 36 cases when trams were delayed due to incorrectly parked vehicles. One of the more recent incidents saw a 20-minute hold-up until the obstruction was cleared.

The number of incidents has reduced from a total of 22 in June and July to a total of 14 over the following four months, but the council is keen to make sure the problem is stamped out.

There have been 36 incidents where trams have been delayed because of badly parked vehicles since the line to Newhaven opened in June.

The tram operations team can now make direct contact with the council’s parking enforcement contractor to ask them to deal with instances of incorrect parking on the tram tracks. Parking attendants make regular patrols to deter such parking. And they can also travel on buses and trams to monitor the route and deal with incidents as they occur.

But the council is also now looking at whether some parking bays should be removed. A report to the transport and environment committee said other councils in the UK with tram systems did not have the same problems because their tracks were further removed from moving traffic and there were no parking bays directly adjacent to the tracks.

It continued: “In Edinburgh, parking places were introduced following consultation with local residents and businesses. Officers are currently considering whether it may be possible to remove parking bays from some of the more problematic locations and whether additional physical barriers could be of benefit in some locations.”

Transport convener Scott Arthur said: “We’re looking at whether or not we've got parking bays in the correct place. If people are routinely badly parking and blocking the tram track in a space that we've designated, perhaps the council has to take more responsibility and accept it's not in the best place and think about removing it. These spots are there through consultations raised in some businesses, but if people are misusing them, then perhaps we need to revisit.

"But I would urge people who find these spaces useful to do their best to make sure that people accessing their business or visiting them or visiting residents are parking responsibly.”

The council can also face problems removing vehicles blocking the tram track because the electrified overhead cables mean its current fleet of parking removal trucks are unable to operate near to the tramline. The parking contractor can use “dolly wheels” which fit under a car to manoeuvre it away from the tram tracks to an area where it can be safely lifted by a removal truck, but it depends on the weight and size of the vehicle.

So when the contract for parking enforcement comes up for renewal in September 2024, the council is considering using the opportunity to invest in a new truck which would allow vehicles to be removed safely.