FED-UP residents forced to pay for pricey parking permits say they still can’t get a space in their street thanks to cycle lane works and commuters.
People living in North Woodside Road in Glasgow’s West End are demanding council chiefs do something to clamp down on people who dump their cars to avoid city centre parking charges and low emission zones.
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Residents, who pay hundreds of pounds annually just to park outside their homes, also say road works to implement a cycle lane as part of the Connecting Woodside cycle initiative have snapped up 20 parking spaces.
They say the problem is so bad that they are afraid to leave in their cars because they won’t get their space back and some permit payers even claim that they can’t get parked within half a mile of their home.
One 55-year-old resident says the problem is at “crisis point” after his van was damaged due to the volume of cars in the street.
He told the Glasgow Times: “The situation is at crisis point and because of works to the Connecting Woodside cycle project, we have lost 18 spaces or perhaps even more.
“On top of that, there’s no restrictions in the street after 6pm on weekdays, and none whatsoever at weekends, meaning it’s pretty much a free for all.
“The work being carried out to connect the cycle paths also mean that there’s no turning point in the street and my van was damaged by someone attempting to reverse without the space to perform the manoeuvre.
“People are parking in the loading and cycles bays and at times right up at the gates for the site entrance. It would be great if parking attendants came out to actually deal with the ones that park illegally.
“Folk living here are asked to pay for permits, which we’ve been told may increase in the future, yet we have to put up with drivers from other areas leaving their cars for days or sometimes even weeks at a time.
He says it’s time for council chiefs to act. He added: “People have had enough and want the council to step in and sort this out.
“Even when there’s a relatively small event at one of the nearby bars or venues, the road is jam packed with people double parking. It becomes impossible to get in or out.”
According to reports, residents have been complaining to the council “for months” and demanding double yellow lines, but say they have yet to have the problem tackled.
Another resident said they want the same parking restrictions that are in place elsewhere in the city.
He said: “Other streets that are a ten minute walk away have parking limits in place from 8am to 10pm daily and at weekends, so why can’t we have the same measures introduced?
“It was bad enough but then the cycle lane project took bays away and just made everything worse. At the end of the day, we are paying for permits that are effectively no use because outside of our homes is gridlocked.
“It really is frustrating when you get back from work and have to spend an hour or more driving around hoping someone shifts so you get a space.”
We previously told how city centre residents currently pay up to £328 per year for parking permits, but those prices were set to rise to over £500 per year depending on the emissions of their vehicles.
“We are sorry for any inconvenience caused during on-going construction work, which is due to finish next week.
“This work is part of the Connecting Woodside project, which aims to improve and rebalance local streets and public spaces for walking, wheeling and cycling.
“The council has no legal obligation to provide on-street parking for private vehicles, but it does have a legal responsibility to manage road space as effectively as possible.
“Parking zones are brought in where parking issues have been previously identified and these restrictions are intended to promote road safety while allowing traffic to move as freely as possible.
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“We always prioritise local residents through the introduction of parking zones and by managing the available road space more effectively, it becomes easier for residents to park closer to their homes.
“Parking controls are regarded as a crucial tool for the management of car use and the city’s transport strategy aims to support a shift to more sustainable forms of transport such as walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport.”
