Save Scotland's Pavement Parking Ban!

Make sure Scotland's ban is properly introduced

Living Streets Scotland was delighted to win a ban on pavement parking in 2019 - but now we need to act urgently if we are to prevent it being undermined before it has even been brought into effect.

Please write to the Scottish government today

The ban is on track to be implemented in 2023. Yet whilst this cannot come soon enough, Living Streets Scotland is worried that proposed guidance for local authorities could mean many streets being excluded from the ban.

This includes lots of narrow, congested residential streets, where people are more likely to park on the pavement. Instead of managing these streets better councils could be allowed simply to let pavement parking continue.

The proposed guidance is flawed and will lead to pavement parking being retained instead of taking action to make streets accessible. We must demand that it is redrafted.

Use this form to write to the government department overseeing this proposal. Our template letter outlines why it is important to introduce the ban comprehensively - and make streets safer for people, especially for disabled people, families with young children and older people.

1. Compose your letter

If you can, please personalise this. It makes the message stronger.

The

Road Policy Team

Transport Scotland

Road Policy Team
Transport Scotland 
4th Floor, Buchanan House 
58 Port Dundas Road
Glasgow G4 0HF

Please consider this letter in response to the Pre-Implementation Directions and Regulations Consultation on Scotland’s Pavement Parking ban.

I agree with Living Streets Scotland that plans to implement the pavement ban are being undermined by guidance to local authorities.

It is important that:

1. There isn’t a blanket exemption given to narrow streets, due to unwarranted fears about access for emergency vehicles. This issue was not raised as an issue when the Transport (Act) 2019 was debated in parliament.

2. Local authorities are encouraged to use their extensive powers to manage parking (eg signing and lining) to ensure emergency access. This is more appropriate than effectively legalising pavement parking on narrow streets where it’s a problem.

3. Exemptions are not considered where the street is already wide enough to allow emergency vehicles to pass even where a car is parked on one side of the carriageway (eg is wider than two average car widths and room for a fire tender).

4.  Councils are encouraged to work with communities and disability advocacy groups to balance the desire for parking and accessibility, instead of applying blanket exemptions to certain types of streets, eg those that are narrow and pavements are most likely to be parked upon.

On the above points we ask you review evidence and ideas presented by Living Streets Scotland and other disability charities to develop an approach that achieves goals for accessible and safe streets, which the footway parking legislation was intended to achieve.

Yours sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name},
{user_data~Address 1},
{user_data~City}

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