A Kincorth man has hit out after he and “multiple” neighbours were fined for parking “half on, half off” the street outside their homes.
Craig Watson, who lives on Corthan Place with his partner Lana, newborn daughter and one-year-old son, has stayed in the area for the past seven years and says parking like this “has always been this way”.
Describing what happened, he said: “I was in my room, I looked outside and I saw the city warden fining everyone by putting a parking tickets on everyone on the street.”
Feeling “annoyed” at getting a £100 fine – which is deducted by 50% if paid within 14 days – Mr Watson said his neighbours are also “outraged” at being reprimanded, and said parking on the pavements allow access for emergency vehicles to get through.
Kincorth parking a ‘shambles’
He told The P&J: “Everyone has to basically park slightly on the pavement either side just to allow space for cars to come up and down.
“At the end of the day, there’s not enough spaces for everyone. There’s nowhere for anybody park, it’s a shambles.”
The reason that cars in the Kincorth street were punished for parking on the pavement was due to new Scottish Government legislation that was introduced to prevent this.
Its aim is to: “Improve accessibility, particularly for vulnerable road users, so pedestrians and wheelchairs/buggies/prams can use pavements and dropped kerbs without being impeded by parked vehicles.”
Along with the pavement parking prohibition, a double parking and dropped kerbs parking ban was also introduced, with this becoming legally enforceable from July 1 in Aberdeen.
A total of 12 streets across the city have been exempt from the new rule, including Cairngorm Crescent in Kincorth, Countesswells Road and Great Northern Road.
‘Rule should only be for the city centre and busy streets’
Even though Mr Watson has appealed his fine, he thinks “there should at least have been a warning” and “definitely” thinks more streets need to be exempt from the new legislation.
“I think that rule should only be for the city centre and busy streets, not a residential street in Kincorth.
“What a waste a city warden walking round during the day when the centre of town’s a nightmare for parking.
“Surely they could just go round and make some of the streets more exempt.”
The dad of two also says that he needs to park near his house, due to having a newborn and a one year old child.
To add insult to injury, after he was fined, he decided to walk to the shop and saw an Aberdeen City Council van parked on the pavement just “along the road” from his street.
“Surely it’s one rule for everyone, they can’t be exempt,” Mr Watson said.
‘Only exemptions are signed and lined’
An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said: “The grass verge on Corthan Place is included in the pavement parking ban due to the position of the footpath that sits behind it.
“The pavement parking ban is applied by legalisation, therefore only exemptions are signed and lined.
“At present there are no exemptions in place, however, a number of streets have been identified and consultation on these is expected to begin within the next month.”
Regarding the council vehicle parked on the pavement, the spokesman added: “Council vehicles have no special dispensation from parking restrictions. We will address this matter appropriately.”
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