Residents of a narrow street in the west end of Aberdeen have hit out at the council after a number of cars were fined for parking on the pavement.
Broomhill Avenue, which is located between Gray Street and South Anderson Drive, is not one of the 12 streets exempt from Aberdeen City Council in allowing pavement parking.
The legislation went live in the city on July 1, with offenders getting fined £100 for parking illegally.
However, Broomhill Avenue residents think their street should be on the exempt list for safety reasons and have hit out after a number of vehicles were fined on Monday.
Broomhill Avenue stop pavement parking after fines
Since the incident earlier this week, cars are no longer parking on the pavement and this is causing concerns for residents, who are worried that emergency vehicles and bin lorries will not be able to get by.
Simon Gall, 39, whose 65-year-old mum Lorraine was one of the people to receive the fine, said: “There have been a few angry exchanges already as delivery vehicles cannot deliver their parcels.
“For example, one vehicle was furiously blasting its horn for a long period of time as it could not pass.”
“There’s a concern that some basic essential services would be impeded by the fact that there’s no sort of exemption for the street.
“It just seems crazy to me that they haven’t considered the street as one of these exemptions. Let’s see what happens next time there’s a bin collection or fire engine.
“It just seems dangerous.”
‘Pavements are wide and road is narrow’
One woman, who lives on the street and does not have a car, said: “These pavements are so wide and the streets are so narrow, so as far as I can see, there’s no problem”
“There’s more a problem if someone parks across the road from each other, because cars can’t go past.”
Supporting an exemption, she said: “The pavements are so wide, a whole car can park on the pavement.”
Nicola Strachan, whose daughter was one of the people fined, told The P&J: “My issue is, since both my daughters are paramedics, how are you going to get an ambulance or fire engine down that street when cars are parked either side”
“It’s always been like that, that people’s had to park on the pavement,” she added.
Working with children with additional needs, she said she understands “what it’s like” when cars park on the pavement.
But added “you’ve got no option” on Broomhill Avenue.
Like other residents, she supports the street being exempt from the rules.
Or as an alternative thinks the council should put double yellow lines on certain parts of it.
Street was ‘like a chicane’
Another resident said the street was “like a chicane” due to cars parked on either side.
He said: “There was just enough room to get through and no more. If there had been an ambulance or a fire engine coming along they wouldn’t of got through.
“It’s the bottom of the street that’s the problem, it’s tight down there towards Gray Street.
He thinks this is why people park cars further up the street.
He added: “Down the bottom, if there’s four-by-fours parked across from each other, there’s no room to get through.”
One resident who does not park on the roadside, said he “doesn’t have issues” with the situation.
He says he “doesn’t understand” why people are not using their driveways.
He added: “There’s been ample warning and it’s now illegal to park on pavements.”
Council to monitor Broomhill Avenue parking
An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said “monitoring” would be undertaken to determine whether further action should be taken to manage parking arrangements.
“The ban which was introduced across Scotland on 1 July to ensure the safety of people in wheelchairs, people with pushchairs or buggies, or those with mobility problems.
“Aberdeen City Council carried out a city-wide assessment of roads and associated pavements using the criteria set by the Scottish Government.
During this assessment, some pavements were identified for exemption from the prohibition.
“Broomhill Avenue was assessed and it was not anticipated that an exemption order would be required.
“Monitoring will be undertaken to determine where further actions may be required to manage parking arrangements.”
Conversation