Council bosses are considering enforcement options to stop drivers parking on pavements and flouting the law.

Argyll and Bute Council said they were considering how to ensure the ban brought into force last year could be more effective.

An Advertiser reader submitted photos of two cars on Sinclair partly on dropped curves and on the road. One driver also appeared to make an obscene gesture as their poor parking was captured on camera. 

They told us: "Pavement parking on Sinclair Street - it’s illegal, of course, but also a bit of a traffic problem.

"I see it all the time. The pavements are the posh new ones. Quite wide. But still, they’re for pedestrians - not tonnes of metal."

In response, the council said they were looking at "inconsiderate and dangerous parking".

Helensburgh Advertiser:

A spokesperson said: “Inconsiderate and dangerous parking risks the safety of people with mobility challenges and those with young children and pushchairs.

"Even without the threat of parking tickets, we’d urge drivers not to do it.

“The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 bans pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs.

"The 2019 Act gives Local Authorities the relevant powers to enforce these new provisions.

“The council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee noted the changes to legislation at its last meeting and will consider enforcement options and additional resources that may be required to discharge these additional powers at a future meeting.”

The parking ban was legislated in 2019 but only started getting enforced by councils four years later.

Helensburgh Advertiser:

Research by Sustrans and Transport For All found 73% of disabled people said the ban would be useful for them to walk or wheel more.

One person who took part in a workshop for the survey and has a guide dog, Clyde, said: “One of my biggest challenges is vehicles parking on the pavement, particularly near junctions.

“When Clyde takes me out round a parked car, I can’t tell if it’s just one car, or a whole line of them. I don’t know how long I will be on the road for, and traffic can be very busy.

“I often have to orientate myself back and start all over again, or just return home.

“Pavements should be for pedestrians, but traffic flow seems to be the main focus. My solution would be a complete ban on pavement parking.

“A bad incident can put me off for a while, but for some people, a bad incident can be a really huge thing.”