Traffic wardens could be returning to Dumfries in a bid to curb illegal parking.
Loreburn Community Council has surveyed residents in the town to deal with the issue which has been labelled “an accident waiting to happen”.
They argue traffic wardens would cut down on the amount of “dangerous” parking throughout the town centre.
The local authority has confirmed it will hold public consultations over the decriminalising of parking this year as part of a new strategy.
Anne Lindsay, chairperson of the community council, said: “Our job as community councillors is to get the thoughts and feelings of local people in the community.
“There are a number of issues but the one that stands out right now is the actual physical danger of parking.
“For example Queen Street can be quite bad. I was walking past the Yellow Door with my friend the other day and a car suddenly mounted the pavement and my friend was in front of me and she pinned herself against the wall to avoid the car wing mirror.
“To get past cars parked on the road this man mounted the pavement. If that had been someone in a wheelchair or a parent with a pushchair... it’s terribly dangerous.
“I’m pleased to hear the council is looking into this but we need this fast tracked.
“We need to sort this issue now.”
She added: “We’d like to see traffic wardens return again.
“It would act as a deterrent. If people see traffic wardens on the streets they’d think twice about just abandoning their cars.”
Traffic wardens were removed from the region’s streets in 2013 with the responsibility for dealing with parking violations currently falling on the shoulders of Police Scotland.
A council spokesperson said: “We are in the process of appointing an external specialist for a parking commission which will include a new regional parking strategy and a decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) feasibility study, to be undertaken in 2023 and will include public consultations and surveys in order to identify key concerns, issues and challenges regarding parking management and enforcement.
“DPE is a regime which enables a local authority to administer its own parking penalties, including the issuing of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to vehicles.
“Local knowledge can enable a local authority to tailor parking enforcement to meet specific needs, taking into account wider traffic management issues and aligned with other policies, such as town regeneration and road safety. The results of the DPE feasibility study will then be reported to the appropriate council committee for a decision to be made on the whether to progress with a DPE application to Transport Scotland.”
