Pavement parking Edinburgh: Thousands of residents receive warning letters over fines for parking on pavements

Enforcement against parking on pavements, parking at dropped kerbs and double parking will begin in Edinburgh on January 29, with £100 fines handed out to those who flout the ban.

National regulations giving councils the power to enforce the ban came into effect last month, aiming to address the inconvenience caused by inconsiderate parking to road users including those with mobility issues, visual impairments, and people with pushchairs.

Following an assessment of more than 5,000 roads, city council officers identified streets where there is "significant pavement parking" and wrote to properties to "help them prepare for the measures".

Edinburgh City Council said 3,300 letters were sent to properties in red-listed streets and a further 3,200 in "amber streets". In some streets, all homes were targeted with letters while in others only some properties were delivered to, in parts where problems were identified.

Once the ban is in place, monitoring will continue to establish whether any of these streets need further measures such as double-yellow lines.

Scott Arthur, the city's Transport and Environment Convener, said: "These new rules are about making our streets safer and more accessible for everyone, in particular those with visual impairments or mobility issues.

"I’ve heard from many people who say the change will make their day-to-day life much easier. I have also been pleased to hear that, as a result of our publicity campaign, pavement parking is already reducing in some areas."

He added: "Officers have been working hard over recent months to prepare for the changes coming into force and have been in contact with residents on streets where pavement parking is a real problem.

"I am proud that Edinburgh is leading the way on enforcing the ban, and that all political parties here agree that no street should be exempt.”

Anyone found to be parked on a pavement, double parked, parked at a crossing point or parked on a verge between roads and pavements could be subject to a £100 fine, reduced to £50 if paid within the first 14 days. There are no exemptions in place.