As part of the Transport Scotland (Act) 2019, a ban on pavement parking was included in the legislation but the power for local authorities to enforce the prohibition did not take effect until December 2023.
The City of Edinburgh Council has become the first local authority to implement the prohibition of pavement parking with the ban enforced in the capital from the end of January.
In a recent Barrhead News article, a West of Scotland MSP called for East Renfrewshire Council to get on with implementing the pavement parking ban as soon as possible.
In sharp contrast to these remarks, my own view is that East Renfrewshire Council should only enforce the ban when the time is right to do so and not be rushed into implementation.
The ban on pavement parking is a major new development and it will require significant behaviour change on the part of motorists.
When enforcement begins, a fine of £100 – reduced to £50 if paid within fourteen days - can be slapped on the car of any motorist whose vehicle is parked on the pavement.
If the prohibition is enforced across East Renfrewshire in a half-baked manner and with speed prioritised over getting the implementation right, the likelihood is that it will heighten frustration amongst some residents about the ban.
Strong communication efforts over the introduction of the ban is important to ensure awareness of the new measure is maximised and to lessen the number of instances where drivers are hit with a £100 fine but without knowing that parking on a pavement had now been proscribed.
The West of Scotland MSP also urged the council to put in place “very limited exemptions” to the ban in East Renfrewshire.
For me, the design of a local scheme with “very limited exemptions” in mind as a key benchmark for the pavement parking ban in East Renfrewshire is not the correct approach.
The practical reality of the roads infrastructure in some local streets in Eastwood means that a ban on pavement parking would be fraught with serious difficulty if even feasible at all.
Councils have been given the authority to exempt areas from the ban but subject to certain criteria.
If a local authority decides to exclude particular pavements or sections of footway, it must be clearly signposted that the ban does not apply there so residents are made fully aware that parking is allowed.
Should it be determined that a large number of exemptions are appropriate, this has the potential to be a resource intensive exercise given the requirement to ensure the area is clearly signed and marked as exempt from the ban.
For any local area that meets the criteria for a council exemption, my own view is that it should not be included within the purview of the pavement parking ban unless there are strong alternative reasons for doing so.
Rather than a rush to introduce the pavement parking ban in East Renfrewshire, a considered, cautious and measured approach is the one that I would favour.