Traffic wardens slapped a parking ticket on a supermarket delivery van as the driver took groceries to a customer in Burntisland.
The officer ignored an appeal for leniency as the vehicle was on double yellow lines.
Yet, minutes later, a Fife Council van parked on the same High Street spot and stayed for an hour.
Angry shopkeepers and locals have now accused the wardens of “hypocrisy”.
They said the incident also highlighted ongoing difficulties with parking on the busy street.
Burntisland High Street is thriving, bucking a national trend of shop closures and declining footfall.
However, a lack of parking spaces and loading bays means delivery drivers either have to stop on double yellow lines or heave heavy loads along the street.
Open letter to Fife Council
Louise Humpington, owner of zero waste store Grain and Sustain, has written an open letter to Fife Council to complain about the situation.
Members of the public have backed her and the local authority is now seeking a solution.
Louise said: “I watched as a parking attendant wrote a ticket for an essential key worker who was delivering groceries.
“I went out to talk to him and explained that since there is no loading bay or parking on our end of the High Street, delivery drivers have no choice but to park on double yellows when they are doing their drops.
“I explained that my understanding was that, albeit informally, the parking attendants acted with forbearance in such circumstances.”
She said she was hugely disappointed to see the ticket issued, despite protests.
“What is worse is that literally five minutes after the ticket was issued, a council van parked in exactly the same spot and remained there for well over an hour.
“Were they issued a parking fine? Not a chance.
“This kind of hypocrisy is absolutely appalling.”
‘They’ll stop delivering to me’
Louise said Burntisland High Street will only continue to thrive if delivery drivers can do their jobs.
“The idea of them being penalised while helping out sticks in my gut.
“I’ve already been told by companies who deliver to my shop, if they’re penalised they’ll simply stop delivering to me.
“We’re a refill shop so customers come along with their own containers and fill them up with as much or as little as they like.
“Because of that, the sacks come in 25kg bags.
“It’s not feasible to lug them down the High Street.”
Louise called on Fife Council to consider the requirements of shopkeepers.
“It is our understanding we’re entitled to receive deliveries outside our shop.
“We’re an incredibly bustling High Street and we hope the council would want to support traders.”
Fife Council’s transportation spokesman, Labour councillor Altany Craik. said he is sympathetic.
“It’s an issue we need to address.
“We need to prepare a solution so that Burntisland High Street works effectively for the benefit of people who work there as well as creating effective parking.”
Council officer Scott Blyth said the delivery van had been parked in a bus stop.
He added: “”Fife Council vehicles are treated the same as any other and must comply with the parking restrictions, unless there are specific exemptions contained within the Traffic Regulation Order.”
