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Revealed: The number of drivers caught in first eight weeks of illegal parking crackdown in Elgin

Over an eight-week period 533 tickets were issued by police for parking on double yellow lines, driving through a no entry sign and unauthorised use of disabled bays.

Illegal parking on Elgin High Street.
A crackdown on illegal parking in Elgin town center has seen police issue 533 tickets over an eight week period. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

Hundreds of tickets have been issued as part of a crackdown on illegal parking in Elgin town centre.

Over an eight-week period, police handed out 533 of them. Offences included parking on double yellow lines, driving through a no entry sign and unauthorised use of disabled bays.

Enforcement was carried out over 17 days between March and May, with around 30 tickets issued each day.

79 fines were handed out in the very first week of the campaign.

In comparison, only 130 tickets were issued in the whole of 2023.

533 parking tickets issued in 17 days

A new council report suggests there are signs the campaign is having an impact on driver habits.

Strategic transport manager Kelly Wiltshire said: “Police Scotland have reported that they are seeing a difference and change in behaviour of drivers in Elgin, with fewer cars being reported on the High Street in particular since the start of the campaign.”

The crackdown has been funded with £10,000 from the Elgin Common Good Fund.

Moray Council agreed the money could be used to tackle the problem, after it was suggested by Elgin members.

Cars on Batchen Street. Image David Mackay/DC Thomson

The common good cash will fund the enforcement for six months.

And the money will get around 25 hours of officer time a month, about £66 an hour, with the work carried out as overtime.

The six month period was set to allow the Town Centre Board, which is responsible for distributing the £20 million UK Government Levelling Up Fund, to be established.

It is thought that group will take on the issue in future.

£10k Common Good Fund cash

There have been considerable problems with parking in the town centre for years.

And it is especially bad on Batchen Street and the Plainstones area, which are both pedestrianised.

Before Christmas, P&J reporter David Mackay monitored parking in the area and could have handed out £10,000 in fines.

The issue has been exacerbated by scaffolding around the Poundland building, closing North Street from its junction with High Street to Alexandra Road.

As a result traffic is currently diverted up Batchen Street.

The Poundland building in Elgin is expected to open soon. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

But the scaffolding is down and the shop is expected to open this summer, which will remove the problem.

And once that happens there are plans to install rise and fall bollards at the pedestrianised area of High Street and Batchen Street to restrict access.

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