Problem Parking Debated At Westminster

Parking on pavements impacts badly on the lives of elderly and disabled people in Scotland.

MPs today are debating whether to devolve the power to enforce punishments for problem parking to Holyrood. The move follows calls by charities and campaign groups to tackle the issue, which they say affects people with guide dogs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

It has been proposed as an amendment to the Scotland Bill - which outlines powers to be devolved to Holyrood post-referendum - by the shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray.

Chris Thompson, Project manager of Living Streets Scotland, said:

"We’re encouraged to see that the pavement parking bill in Scotland is being taken seriously, it’s about time. Pavement parking is the biggest complaint we get here at Living Streets Scotland and it affects many people’s lives. While pavement parking in London was banned 40 years ago, Scotland has been waiting for the issue to be addressed for too long. Parking on pavements causes inconvenience and danger.

"Tackling pavement parking is a vital step to reclaiming streets for pedestrians and will especially benefit those with impaired sight, the disabled and older people. If passed, the amendment will also help boost the number of pedestrians visiting their local high street shops and bring down maintenance costs for local councils who have to shell out millions of pounds a year on repairing cracked pavements which have been damaged from cars."