Revealed: Edinburgh's top 10 parking penalty roads named

MORE than £500,000 worth of parking fines were slapped on cars in George Street last year, the most of any road in the Capital.

LUCRATIVE: 8,804 tickets, worth £528,240, were issued in George Street last year, Picture: Ian Georgeson

The value of tickets issued on the New Town shopping thoroughfare has more than doubled in two years.

Penalties issued across the city in 2017 were at a five-year high and worth more than £5 million. Motoring representatives said the money could fill tens of thousands of potholes while city chiefs said parking fines are needed to help regulate traffic.

“The overriding fact in all of this, is that 84,745 potholes could be filled with that money – at roughly £59 to repair a pothole,” said an AA spokesman.

He said some drivers fall foul by parking in bays incorrectly – while wardens may target city centre streets disproportionately because “they know there’ll be work”.

Some 8,804 tickets were issued in George Street last year, worth £528,240 and three times more than the next most lucrative for wardens, Chambers Street.

The Old Town road where sheriff courts and procurator fiscal offices are based swelled city coffers by £163,380.

Next in the list are New Town squares St Andrew and Charlotte, bringing in around £150,000 each. The Meadows’ Chalmers Street, with its 
student accommodation and hospital, saw 2,338 tickets issued – worth £140,280.

Melville Street, in the heart of the West End and home to the tribunal court and Russian consulate, saw drivers hit to the tune of £135,300.

Visitors to Bruntsfield Place and its upmarket shops and restaurants were hammered with £131,040 worth of fines.

The Old Town’s East Market Street, next to Waverley 
station, is next on the list, bringing in £124,020.

Completing the top ten are New Town thoroughfares Thistle Street and Queen Street – with £111,240 and £104,820, respectively.

Transport Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “Like all bustling cities, Edinburgh’s parking restrictions are in place to keep the roads safe and accessible and to help manage turnover for local businesses, as well as helping residents park close to their homes.

“In line with legislation, all income from parking tickets is invested in delivering our local transport priorities for the Capital. This investment in transport infrastructure supports our work to provide the best possible transport 
experience for residents, commuters and visitors.

“With Edinburgh’s growing population, we must ensure we’re strategic in how we plan transport in the city. By investing in public transport, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, we are moving towards cleaner, more efficient links to the centre, improving the environment, combating congestion and reducing the need to drive here.”