Parking enforcement officers have dished out 20 tickets in the first 24 hours of the new parking permit clampdown at Highland Council’s headquarters.
Permits must now be displayed by motorists parking at the Glenurquhart Road site between 8am and 4pm on weekdays.
Anyone breaching these regulations will have to pay a £60 penalty – £30 if paid within 14 days – but drivers have been given a two-week “grace” period and will be spared the fines for now.
It means that a potential £1,200 has been earned by the local authority in the first day of the new permit scheme.
In the coming days, parking meters will also be going live at the 250-space car park for anyone parking there beyond the designated permit hours. Pay and display will cost drivers £2 for up to three hours, £4 for up to 10 hours or £5 for 24 hours.
Shane Manning, Highland Council’s principal traffic officer, said parking enforcement officers made their first patrols of the council’s car park on Monday afternoon.
He said: “We’re just waiting for the manufacturers to do the job and commission the ticket machines, which will be any day.”
Many theatre-goers regularly use the council car park with its proximity to Eden Court theatre.
Theatre chief executive Colin Marr said that parking meters will be installed in “due course” at the theatre’s own car park, which has about 70 spaces and is tucked in directly behind the building.
He stressed this is necessary as parking regulations are enforced across more city locations, driving more people to seek free parking at places such as Eden Court, and increasing the likelihood of dangerous parking.
Mr Marr also said that the theatre car park has been used by non-customers which has greatly reduced the amount of parking available, particularly during weekdays when they run a lot of classes for parents and children.
It is unknown at this stage when the ticket machines will go live at the theatre car park.
Mr Marr said: “It will undoubtedly be an annoyance but as far as I am aware, we are the the only theatre in Scotland with with any parking available for customers – paid or otherwise.
“If we retain a free car park that becomes useless. At the moment at our car park, our customers can not park here, so we need to change what we are doing. We also have people parking here very dangerously.”
