Pavement Parking

Double parking is when no part of a vehicle is within 50cm of the edge of the carriageway. That is, the space between a parked vehicle and the edge of the carriageway must not be more than 50cm. 

Vehicles are prohibited from parking adjacent to a pavement where the pavement has been lowered to meet the level of the carriageway, or the carriageway has been raised to meet the level of the footway to assist pedestrians or cyclists to cross the carriageway safely.

The dropped kerbs parking prohibition does not apply to dropped kerbs which form the entrance to a driveway or a garage whether on commercial or residential premises.

A city-wide pavement survey was carried out by a consultant, using the standard set out by the Scottish Government. The survey exercise helped identify streets that meet the exemption requirements.  Based on the survey outcome, a consultation exercise will now be carried out through newspaper advert and street notices in the identified streets. This will form part of the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) making process.

Some people will no longer be able to park at their front door or on their street. Some residents may have to park in neighbouring streets.

Exemptions to the pavement parking prohibition are not the norm and will indeed be the exception. They will only be deployed in areas where it is absolutely necessary to do so, and no alternative solution can be used to maintain vehicular access. However, more streets can be exempted if they are found to meet the criteria. Aberdeen City Council will continue to monitor compliance and the effect of this prohibition. Furthermore, currently exempted footways will also be monitored, and may be amended or removed if required.

Exempted pavements will be demonstrated using appropriate signs and bay markings.

New exemptions will go through the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process, the making of a TRO could take several months as it requires a statutory consultation process to be undertaken. If objections are received during consultation, these will be reported to the appropriate Council Committee for their consideration. In some instances, other traffic management measures can be introduced on streets where safety is compromised, or parking patterns need to be supported. These will also require a statutory process to be undertaken.  

A penalty charge of £100 is payable in respect of a contravention. Penalty charge will be reduced by 50% if paid before the end of a period of 14 days beginning with the date on which notice of the penalty charge is given.

Pavement parking prohibition will not apply when a business vehicle cannot reasonably deliver, collect, load or unload goods without the vehicle being parked on a pavement. However, drivers must allow a minimum width of 1.5 metres on the pavement, to allow safe and easy pedestrian movements. Also, the vehicle is to be parked for no longer than is necessary for the delivery, collection, loading or unloading and in any event for no more than a continuous period of 20 minutes.

Footways and the grass verges associated with them together provides safe access/passage for pedestrians, grass verges are a part of the footway, hence, prohibition of pavement parking applies on them too. Therefore, drivers who unlawfully park on grass verges will be served a penalty charge notice.