Older residents in Arbroath have warned inconsiderate parking is proving a “huge barrier” to their daily lives.
The ‘Arbroath Round O Five O’ group presented a petition of 700 signatures to Angus Council’s infrastructure director Ian Cochrane on Wednesday, urging the local authority to take steps to reduce the practice.
Members of the group also highlighted some of the issues they are concerned about to Mr Cochrane, Arbroath East and Lunan Independent councillor Lois Speed and local policeman PC David Voigt.
The volunteers support the wishes of over-50s in central Arbroath and allow local people’s ideas to come to the fore to learn what may or may not work in addressing the wider issues affecting older people.
Spokeswoman Evelyn Young said: “The aim of our project has been to find out what older people feel that the local issues affecting them are.
“We are looking to address the inequalities that affect older people in the area and empower and enable local older people to overcome them through local answers.
“The traffic issue has become a major problem for those who may take that little longer to cross the road and one which local residents feel stop them from accessing things in their everyday life.
“The local group have heard a number of people question the legality of a good deal of the parking around Arbroath.
“So, on the wishes of locals, they are looking for solutions to people parking on double yellow lines, across dropped kerbs, in very close proximity to junctions and on a few occasions three wide in the street.
“All of this means that a great deal of older people cannot see to cross the road and they need to almost be in the middle of the road before being able to see what is coming.
“The parking near junctions and the subsequent positioning of traffic flow due to these illegalities can be seen as a huge barrier to life and can be viewed as placing them in danger.”
Ms Speed said it had been a privilege to meet with the group and learn of the “inspiring pieces of work that they have been proactively involved in so far”.
“It’s brilliant that they are tackling key issues and they certainly have my full support,” she said.
“When I first met with them they described themselves ‘as the voices that don’t get heard’.
“I hope that perception changes and that by raising awareness of their activity and the issues that affect them they can start to shape and influence local matters.
“Hopefully motorists take note of the issues that others continue to experience.”
