Comment: Kirkcaldy town centre parking - an unresolved issue

After two years of parking charge trials in Kirkcaldy town centre, are we any closer to addressing the issue?
Parking meters have been covered up, but are set to return at the end of this monthParking meters have been covered up, but are set to return at the end of this month
Parking meters have been covered up, but are set to return at the end of this month

The decision to end the latest discount scheme comes as no surprise - parking is a revenue generator for Fife Council, and Kirkcaldy has delivered far more than any other Fife town.

Without the fees paid by visitors to the Lang Toun there would be a hefty hole in the heart of transportation’s budgets.

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The council is right to look at the bigger picture - the transformation from retail to a blend with residential and recreation is key to the town centre’s future prosperity.

But that leaves the issue of car parking unresolved. How we could do with the voice of Kirkcaldy4All which more than rattled cages on the issue...

After all the trials, the town is still poorly served by a hotch-potch of parking areas, some in the wrong place, others unwelcoming or woefully underused.

That will only be magnified once the new parking spaces on the Esplanade come into use.

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The re-alignment of the dual carriageway has opened up much better use of the service road, and will allow people to park in the very heart of the town, albeit at a cost.

The worry remains the spaces will simply be commandeered by visitors to the leisure centre - the one the council built with no thought to parking - and if that happens, then we are no further forward, and the debate will continue.

This issue isn’t one that is going to go away any time soon...