Edinburgh Council has announced that enforcement against parking on pavements, parking at dropped kerbs and double parking will begin in the city on Monday, 29 January.

Scottish regulations giving councils the power to enforce the new rules came into effect on 11 December, aimed at addressing “the inconvenience inconsiderate parking causes to all road users, in particular those with mobility issues, visual impairments, and people with pushchairs”.

Following an assessment of more than 5,000 roads, officers have identified a small number of streets where there is significant pavement parking and have written 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.”

(Picture – Scottish Greens)