Pavement parking ban: Fife assesses how new law will be enforced

The move, which comes in response to pavement parking provisions in the Transport Act 2019, will then be followed up by Fife Council officers carrying out site visits to confirm which streets could be exempt from the laws due to be enforceable some time next year.

Huge question marks still remain over what the new pavement parking ban will mean for the council in terms of finances and enforcement - and what it will mean for Fifers on a day-to-day basis.

Councillors on the region’s economy, tourism, strategic planning and transportation sub committee were given an update on Thursday morning but, while Transport Scotland has provided Fife Council with a £106,000 grant to cover the assessment process, the longer-term resource implications will not be known until more specific details are made available by the Scottish Government.

Planning for the ban continues in Fife, with the region’s officers confirming the pavement parking ban will be the “default” position for them - with any exemptions requiring a good reason behind them.

Committee convener Councillor Altany Craik said: “We’re trying to change people’s behaviour and we need to be conscious that pavements are for people.

“We need the carrot and stick and it’s going to take quite a while to get this right because some of the places in Fife weren’t designed to have this many cars.

“As car ownership and car behaviour changes, we need to make sure the unintended consequences don’t sink us.

“I don’t think people necessarily think they can park where they like - they often do it out of thoughtlessness or necessity.”

The legislation will introduce a ban on vehicles parking on all footways, a ban on double parking, and a ban on parking across dropped kerb pedestrian crossing points, although there will be exemptions.

Officers are currently working on the premise that exemptions to the footway parking ban will be implemented if a vehicle can be parked partly or wholly on the footway such that a minimum width of 1.5m of clear footway can be retained for pedestrian use.

That width can be reduced to 1.2m to clear obstructions such as sign poles.

Exemptions will also be applied if it is not possible for emergency services to access a street.

Assessments will be carried out and a list of recommended exemptions drawn up for further consultation.

In the meantime, councillors heard Fife Council is to limit the use of so-called ‘H Bar’ markings to ensure that they can be used as an effective weapon against pavement parking across the region.

Martin Kingham, roads network management service manager, admitted their effectiveness had been reduced in recent years because they had been overused, with such markings drawn at many private driveways that are already obvious to drivers seeking to park.

With that in mind, Fife Council will restrict their use to only where they are needed to maximise compliance, while markings that have been “inappropriately applied” will not be replaced when they fade or are worn out.

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