Residents of Glasgow’s East End have marched into the City Chambers demanding the council rethink its parking permit plans.
Parking fees and one-way systems could be introduced in Dennistoun, with some locals having to pay more than £200 a year to park there.
Glasgow City Council says the proposals will help ensure road space is better managed in future, while a public consultation on the plans is open until tomorrow.
The group occupied the reception area of the council headquarters, urging that the local authority invest in public transport.
They say parking charges will only impact poorer car users.
Residents confronted Kevin Argue with their concerns about the negative impact of the charges, which one resident described as a “tax on the poor”.
Living Rent GlasgowSusan Carden, a Living Rent member and Dennistoun resident who was part of the protest, said: “These parking charges will hit the poorest the hardest. Glasgow City Council needs to stop balancing its budget on the backs of its residents.
“If the city were serious about reducing carbon emissions, protecting the environment and ensuring the health of its citizens, it would prioritise delivering a publicly owned, affordable transport system that did not cost an arm and a leg to get across the city.
“This is not a policy designed to reduce the number of cars, and it will do nothing for half the city without a car. These parking charges are set out to make money for the city and the private company RingGo”
The council has said revenue raised by the scheme will go towards the cost of its operation and to support other raods and transportation projects.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “Problems with parking in Dennistoun have been raised regularly with the council over many years, and we have engaged with the community on the issue over time.
“The area draws in commuter traffic to local health and business facilities, and this has a significant impact on the local community.
“We continue to receive parking complaints from the Dennistoun area due to inconsiderate parking and the issues this causes.
“Our parking attendants regularly visit the area and have issued over 3500 fines over the past two years for breaches of existing parking restrictions.
“The council has a duty to manage problem parking, and the proposals currently open for public consultation will help to ensure road space in Dennistoun is better managed in future.
“On-street parking controls help to ease congestion, support road safety for all road users, ensure fairer access to limited parking spaces for residents, businesses and visitors.
“Parking schemes also ensure a turnover of spaces for pay-as-you-go drivers while also allowing easier access to streets for emergency and cleansing service vehicles.
“Management of road space more effectively also encourages a shift to more sustainable forms of transport.”
A consultation on the proposals will be open until January 23
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