A concerned Edinburgh pedestrian has hit out at two businesses that parked their vehicles over a pavement and blocked access for residents.
Both Impact Signs and Scottish Power had vehicles pictured blocking the public pathway on Leith Walk. Pavement parking has become a hot topic in the capital with many activists and politicians calling for greater enforcement.
Vehicles blocking walkways can be extremely problematic for those with mobility issues as well as members of the public pushing prams or using wheelchairs. There has also been criticism regarding the lack of enforcement when drivers break the rules in parking in this manner.
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Capital resident, Lauren, took to Twitter to condemn the act by sharing pictures showing the two work vans blocking safe routes. Their vehicles are positioned in such a way that pedestrians are forced to walk into the bike lane.
She said: “More pavement driving and parking at the bottom of Leith Walk, blocking the whole (ridiculously small) pedestrian section. Trams hub on the other side of the road they could use.
“Of course they know they can do this freely, as evidenced by the police car driving past.”
When speaking to Edinburgh Live, she added: "Well it’s a nuisance really. The space is allocated for pedestrians and drivers have no right to use it, especially when they take up most or all of the pedestrian space.
"On Leith Walk there is already reduced space for pedestrians with the new design and the way that vans are regularly parked on the pavement which forces pedestrians into the cycle lane. People with small children and those who are elderly or disabled, including partially sighted, are particularly put at risk by this selfish driving.
"Trams to Newhaven have provided delivery hubs but this hasn’t stopped it. The police appear to have no interest in stopping people from driving on pavements which means they’ll just keep doing it and others will see it’s apparently fine, so it will get worse.
"Vehicles driving on the pavements causes damage to surfaces too, making them uneven for pedestrians and costing money to replace. It can be stopped with enforcement but police and council need to be willing."
The picture was also condemned by Green councillor, Kayleigh O’Neill. O’Neill, who represents the neighbouring Forth Ward, is someone who relies on assistance to travel around the capital.
She had been an advocate on clamping down on pavement parking and said: “It's extremely frustrating seeing more bouts of pavement parking on such a busy street like Leith Walk.
“However seeing young children having to go round big vans on pavements shouldn’t be the norm in any part of the city. I look forward to legislation coming in that will help prevent this but planning for this must start now.”
The Scottish Government legislated to ban on pavement parking in October 2019. However, guidance on how local authorities should implement the ban is still being drafted by the Scottish government's road policy team.
Edinburgh’s transport and environment convener, councillor Scott Arthur, has been vocal in his condemnation of pavement parking. He has called in the past for the powers to be given to the council sooner rather than later.
Scottish Power say that their vehicle was unable to gain access to the property they were parked outside of due to a broken down lorry at the back of the premises. Unfortunately this left them with little option other than to park their van outside the front entrance in order to deliver a heavy piece of equipment.
A spokesperson for SP Energy Networks said: "On Thursday morning, our engineers attended the site to install a new connection for a customer. Due to a broken down lorry, access to the service entrance at the rear of the property was blocked and they were forced to park a vehicle on the pavement to move a heavy piece of equipment onsite as safely as possible.
“Part of the pavement was blocked over a two-hour period by the van but full access was restored soon after. We always work to ensure minimal disruption and regret any inconvenience caused."
A spokesperson for Edinburgh City council said: “While Councils do not yet have the powers to enforce against pavement parking where no restrictions are in place. People can also report incorrectly parked vehicles on our website.”
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government has been working to improve parking legislation in Scotland, to tackle the impact of inconsiderate and obstructive parking and ensure that our roads and pavements are accessible for all. The national pavement parking prohibition has already been legislated for in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, having gained cross party support in the Scottish Parliament.
“Local authorities will be required to assess their footways to determine which, if any, may be appropriate to be exempt from the pavement parking prohibition and secondary legislation setting the framework for the exemptions process was laid in parliament last month. Local authorities will be required to consider their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 throughout this process.
“Transport Scotland has issued funding of £2.4 million to allow local authorities to assess their streets in preparation for the pavement parking prohibition.”
Impact Signs and Police Scotland were also contacted for comment.
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