Highland Council issues more than 400 pavement parking fines after new law takes effect
Hundreds of Highland motorists have been fined for illegally parking on pavements in the months since new laws came into force.
Inverness has seen the most fines issued (211), with Skye posting the next highest tally of 53. Dingwall is in third with 23, while Thurso was fourth with 14. In all 430 fines have been issued, with a combined total of close to £30,000.
The legislation, which is designed to make it safer and easier for pedestrians to navigate footpaths, took effect in December, but figures released by Highland Council reveal that the local authority gave drivers a grace period and didn't begin enforcing the new rules until February.
The 430 fines issued so far were issued between February and the end of May, generating a potential £27,900. .
But the message seems to be getting through in some areas, with Inverness recording a consistent fall in fines in recent months - down from a joint peak of 78 apiece in February and March, to just 20 in May.
These falls haven't been matched as consistently in all communities, but the trend overall is also downward,
With the number of fines issued in a single month peaking at 139 (or £9550) in March, and dropping to a low of 77 (or £4800) in May.
Of the fines issues, nine per cent of them - worth £2450 - have been cancelled or written off, while 59 per cent have been paid (totalling £16,500).
