“It’s the end of the road for unsafe pavement parking,” according a to Fife MP.
A guide dog owner has hit out at the problem of pavement parking in Oakley.
Debbie Clark said selfish drivers force her golden retriever Cherry to take her on to the road into traffic to get past.
She has been backed by Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman, who said the problem is prevalent across his constituency.
He is highlighting a new campaign by Guide Dogs Scotland which aims to make pavement parking an offence.
Debbie, of Wardlaw Crescent, has been blind from birth.
She is a service user representative for the charity’s Edinburgh mobility team.
She said: “Guide Dogs Scotland have been campaigning about this for years, but many people don’t listen.
“I can come out from the shops and a car or big lorry can be parked and I have to walk out on the road.
“That’s not ideal because it’s unsafe for someone who can’t see.
“The more people who get to know about this campaign the more awareness will be raised that bad parking has consequences.”
Mr Chapman added: “No one should be forced to brave traffic because of cars parked on the pavement.
“So I welcome plans for a law to end problem pavement parking in Scotland.
“It can turn a walk to work or trip to the shops into a dangerous obstacle course, as Debbie well knows.
“It’s a nuisance for anyone, but if you have a visual impairment or a toddler in tow, stepping out into the road with moving traffic is just too big a risk.”
Guide Dogs is campaigning to make pavement parking an offence, except in areas where local authorities grant specific exemptions.
This is already the case in London, but outside London, councils struggle to tackle unsafe pavement parking because they can only restrict it street by street.
Niall Foley, engagement manager at Guide Dogs Scotland, said: “Our research shows that most drivers who park on the pavement know that it can be dangerous for pedestrians, but many do so regardless.
“That’s why we need clear rules so that drivers only park where it’s safe.
“We know that the Scottish Government is committed to a law to curb unsafe pavement parking.
“We welcome the consultation on this issue and look forward to them bringing forward a bill in the near future.”
