Pavement parking legislation

The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 makes it illegal to park on the pavement in Scotland, as well as parking at dropped kerbs and double parking. From Monday 6 January 2025, you could be fined up to £100 in South Lanarkshire. This legislation applies to public and privately owned roads and footpaths. Read the full committee report.

Legislation

The new legislation applies to all streets in South Lanarkshire, irrespective of their design, length or purpose, including grass verges. The legislation forbids:

• parking with one or more wheels on any part of the pavement
• double parking: parking alongside other vehicles (it does not matter whether the vehicles' owners or drivers have an agreement with each other)
• parking more than 50cm from the edge of the carriageway (for example, from a painted solid white line, a kerb or where the surface of the carriageway meets its verge)
• parking at pedestrian and cyclist crossing points where the kerbs are dropped on both sides of the road, or where the carriageway has been raised to the level of the pavement

Exceptions to pavement parking and double parking

The following exceptions apply to pavement parking and double-parking prohibitions. Please see the Transport Scotland Act (2019) for a full list of exceptions.

• vehicles being used for emergency service purposes (police, ambulance, fire, coastguard)
• vehicles being used to do works on roads, for the removal of obstructions to traffic, for the collection of waste by us or for delivering the postal service (Royal Mail only)
• vehicles being used by a registered medical practitioner, a registered nurse or a registered midwife providing urgent or emergency health care
• vehicles delivering goods to or collecting goods from any premises in the course of business (up to 20 minutes only)
• vehicles loading from or unloading to any premises in the course of business (up to 20 minutes only)
• vehicles assisting at an accident or breakdown

The above exceptions can be allowed only if these activities cannot be carried out:

• without the vehicle being parked on a pavement, however, a space of 1.5 metres must be maintained on the footway between the vehicle and the edge of the footway furthest from the carriageway to allow unobstructed pedestrian movement
• without the vehicle being double parked

Exceptions to dropped footway parking

The following exception applies to the dropped footway parking prohibition. Please see the Transport Scotland Act (2019) for a full list of exceptions.

• Vehicles are being used to save a life or respond to other similar emergency

Dropped kerbs

If you have a dropped kerb outside your home, you can park there, however you are still bound by the pavement parking legislation. So, you cannot park on the pavement.

If there is an existing parking restriction in place, such as double yellow lines, this restriction still applies.

Taxis

Taxis are not exempt, and drivers are expected to park or wait correctly at all times.

Disabled badge holders

Disabled badge holders are not exempt from the new parking prohibitions.

Signage

Signage will only be provided where there is a formal exemption to the parking on the pavement, double parking and parking across dropped kerb crossing points rules.

Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)

Penalty Charge Notices may be issued at any time of the day. The fine is £100 reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days of issue. Please make sure you observe the parking rules to assist other road users, including wheelchair users and children in buggies to travel safely.

How to report pavement parking, double parking or dropped footway parking

You can report a parking problem using our online form.