Our street is being used as free car park by people dodging fines due to new council rules

FURIOUS locals have slammed drivers for using their street as a “free car park” to dodge fines – adding that the council has “created the problem”.

Residents living in Northbridge estate, in the Sighthill Circle area of Glasgow, have claimed that over 100 city centre workers are abandoning their cars on their street.

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And it has meant that homeowners can’t park outside their houses or use their own designated bays as a result.

They say that drivers have been leaving their motors in the area in a bid to avoid paying the high parking charges in the city centre.

It also means they can avoid the low emission zone (LEZ), which has exacerbated the parking problem since it was introduced in June last year.

Northbridge is part of a £250million revamp of Sighthill which is said to be the biggest of its kind outside of London.

It has been designed to ease pedestrian and cyclist access to Glasgow’s city centre.

But fed-up residents have blamed the council for the parking situation, saying it’s their fault for not putting parking restrictions in a place so close to the city centre.

People are using it as a free car park for the city centre… they park on the drop kerbs and on the pavements, which is illegal, and I’ve fallen twice because of it

Peter CollinsNorthbridge resident

They are now calling on council chiefs to introduce parking permits or double yellow lines to deter drivers from using their streets as a “free car park”.

Local resident Peter Collins, 46, told BBC Scotland News: “The council say they’re aware of the issues but they created the problem by not putting in any parking restrictions.

“The council told us they couldn’t afford to do parking but this is supposed to be the biggest investment in a development of its kind outside of London.”

Glasgow City Council has been handed dozens of complaints about the parked motors, but locals have said they have been “passed back and forth” between police and the local authority when the issue has been brought up.

Peter added that the problem has meant that disabled people have not been able to get to their homes whilst others have had their driveways blocked by other drivers.

He continued: “Police say parking is a council issue and then the council say they don’t have the resources.

“There are zero parking restrictions and the council say it is a priority area since its right by the LEZ, but in the meantime people are using it as a free car park for the city centre.

“They park on the drop kerbs and on the pavements, which is illegal, and I’ve fallen twice because of it.”

It is out of control. I can’t park in my own designated space because of all the cars here… it’s dangerous if there’s an emergency no vehicles would be able to park

Roshan RodriguezNorthbridge resident

Locals previously told the Scottish Sun that the issue has become so bad that some delivery drivers won’t do drop-offs.

Roshan Rodriguez, 39 has lived in Northbridge for just shy of two years and said if he had known parking would be an issue, he would have never bought a house there.

He told The Scottish Sun: “It is out of control. I can’t park in my own designated space because of all the cars here.

“When we bought our house it was not supposed to be like this. It’s terrible.

“We live here and can’t get parked and not only that, it’s dangerous if there’s an emergency no vehicles would be able to park.

“I just hope Glasgow City Council listens to us and does something about it.”

Another resident, 37, who asked not to be named, said when she moved in, in July 2021, parking was not an issue.

She said: “Oh god it’s absolutely shocking. Look at it. It’s a mess. This issue has been gradually getting worse.

“We bought this house because of its close proximity to the city centre and we didn’t want to have a car.

“We have a designated parking space but we wouldn’t be able to use it even if we wanted to.

LEZ RULES

GLASGOW’S LEZ came into force on June 1 last year and enforces strict new curbs on what cars can enter the city centre.

Any motors which don’t meet certain emissions standards are now BANNED from the zone – which stretches from High Street and Saltmarket to the River Clyde and surrounded by the M8.

Those who break the new rules face a £60 fine.

But we told how THOUSANDS of drivers managed to dodge the clean air levy due to an error by bungling council bosses.

The move proved controversial, with many claiming it would drive people away from the city centre due to poor and unreliable public transport.

But council chiefs say it will improve air quality and protect public health.

The LEZ proved extremely unpopular with business owners and the city’s taxi drivers – with fears hundreds of cabbies would leave the trade because their motors weren’t compliant with the rules.

Some even took the council to court to challenge the zone, branding it “illegal” and “draconian”.

But their legal bid failed after Lady Poole rejected the challenge.

“I understand parking in the city is a nightmare and can be expensive, but this is not the solution.”

Another woman admitted she doesn’t live in Northbridge but had parked there for easy access into the city centre to do some shopping.

She said: “Oh I didn’t even realise there was a problem with parking.

“This is the first time I’ve parked here. It just costs so much to park in town and this is so convenient because it’s just a short walk across the bridge.

“That would have cost me £5 or more if I’d parked in town.”

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council previously told The Scottish Sun: “We are currently considering parking control measures to protect residents in Sighthill from people coming into the area to park in this way.

“If driveways, etc, are being blocked residents should contact Police Scotland.”

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