Number of pavement parking fines in Midlothian nearly triple in space of a year

The number of fines handed out for parking on pavements nearly trebled in the space of a year in Midlothian, a new report has revealed.

More than 400 drivers were issued with penalties for the offence between October to December last year – compared to 143 over the same period the previous year.

Legislation banning parking on pavements in Scotland was introduced in 2019, with local Midlothian Council introducing enforcement of the laws in April 2024.

A £100 fine is issued to those caught flouting the rules, which can be reduced to £50 if paid within a short period of time.

Initially, the council said that while any parking on pavements was illegal, it would focus enforcement in areas where emergency service vehicles or council waste services were impeded by it.

The number of penalty notices issued to drivers for parking on pavements makes it the most common offence dealt with by the county’s enforcement officers.

A report due to go before the council’s police, fire and rescue board from the local authority’s public services team reveals the second most common offence over the last three months of last year was parking in disabled bays without a blue badge, with 304 fines issued.

The third highest offence at 245 penalty notices was parking in car parks without a valid ticket on display.

The number of people fined for parking in front of a dropped kerb was also up slightly with 63 fines issued compared to 52 over the same period in the previous year.

Overall the officers issued 1,775 penalty notices to drivers who ignored the law across Midlothian roads between October to December – an average of 19 tickets every day.

The report also reveals that since the start of the current financial year last April, 184 vehicles have been reported as abandoned in the county, with nine notices served to owners and one removed for destruction.