Police officers and the council may have to join forces to ensure pedestrian safety in Peterhead in the face of mounting evidence that motorists are flouting road restrictions.
Peterhead South and Cruden councillor Stephen Calder claims he was targeted by one driver as he walked along the town’s Marischal Street earlier this month.
The thoroughfare is closed to cars at all times and is only open to vehicles loading at shops and buses.
Mr Calder, however, has spotted numerous drivers flouting those restrictions and, in the incident in question, says a driver tried to use their car to push him out of the way.
Dozens of tickets were handed out to motorists during a recent police crackdown in the town.
Mr Calder said: “The driver was travelling along the narrowest bit of Marischal Street by H Samuel and I was walking down the middle of the precinct. Though he stopped to begin with, when I didn’t move he started pushing me backwards.
“Motorists are actually brushing people out of the road in a pedestrian precinct.
“It has become a free-for-all and has been getting steadily worse over the last few months.
“I would say it began 16 months ago, when they opened up Chapel Street to general traffic.
“A lot of people got the impression that the whole town centre was open to general traffic despite the signage.
“If you point that out to people they say ‘it is time the council took that down it out of date’.
“It is not out of date that is the traffic regulations. They are just ignoring it. The signage is clear.”
Philip Leiper, Aberdeenshire Council’s roads manager, has confirmed the local authority is working alongside the police to crackdown on drivers who ignore the rules.
He said: “The current signage is clear and correct. Marischal Street is a pedestrian zone with access to delivery vehicles only between midnight and 11am and from 4pm to midnight each day.
“Shop customers should not be parking on Marischal Street at any time as it is an enforceable offence.
“Police Scotland has been carrying out education and enforcement and our plan is to draw up a guide that can be used to help drivers to better understand the restrictions in place.”
Peterhead community policing sergeant Kevin MacDonald said a recent crackdown by officers in the town saw them hand out dozens of tickets.
He said: “A week of action was carried out in March to target motorists parking within a restricted area and in excess of 30 tickets were issued by police.
“Officers are continuing to give the area attention and would encourage anyone with particular concerns to contact police on 101.”
