Traffic chaos fears as just 40 Fife streets identified as exempt from pavement parking ban

Just 40 Fife streets have been declared exempt from the pavement parking ban so far.

Council officers have drawn up a list after assessing around 12,500 roads across the region.

Around three quarters are in Dunfermline and Rosyth.

However, there are only two in north east Fife, both in Newport-on-Tay.

A number of historic villages in the East Neuk, Falkland and Culross have not made the list at all.

Some councillors fear traffic chaos unless many more streets are added before the ban comes into force on September 1.

And they are now appealing to the public to help them identify any roads which meet the strict criteria.

Some streets ‘already a nightmare’

Tay Bridgehead SNP councillor Louise Kennedy-Dalby said: “We need people to contact us quickly with other suggestions.

“If we don’t, this is going to cause problems in a lot of villages, particularly in the East Neuk and Falkland.

“They’re already a nightmare to get through when it’s busy in summer.

“This will just make it harder.”

East Neuk and Landward Lib Dem councillor Fiona Corps agrees.

She said: “My inbox is already full with people expressing their concerns.

“I do hope common sense will prevail here, otherwise it will cause chaos.

“It’s hard enough for emergency vehicles to get down some of those streets as it is.”

Streets must meet exemption criteria

Fife Council’s sustainable transport and parking manager Susan Keenlyside says local input will be considered before new traffic regulation orders are drawn up.

“The legislation requires us to assess each street in Fife to identify those that clearly meet the criteria for a possible exemption,” she said.

“The initial assessment has indicated around 40 out of the 12,500 streets assessed could be exempt.”

Fife pavement parking ban exemptions criteria is clear.

The road must be too narrow for emergency vehicles to pass when cars are parked fully on carriageway.

And 1.5m of pavement must be kept clear for pedestrians and wheelchair-users.

How to suggest Fife pavement parking ban exemptions

Fife has pledged a soft start to the pavement parking ban as many exemptions will not be in place in time for September 1.

However, technically drivers could be fined £100 if their vehicle blocks a footway.

More information will be available at www.fife.gov.uk/pavementparking by the end of June.

And councillors’ contact details can be found on the Fife Council website.