Pavement, double and dropped kerb parking ban
Under the Scotland wide parking legislation, councils can enforce a ban on pavement, double and dropped kerb parking.
Pavement parking can cause obstruction, damage surfaces and create trip hazards. These measures improve safety and accessibility for all road users. Find out more about the issues caused by pavement parking.
View parking privacy notices.
Where you can't park
You must not park:
- On pavements including within cul-de-sacs
- More than 50cm from the kerb (double-parking)
- At dropped kerbs for pedestrian or cycle use, including:
- At pedestrian crossings (puffin, toucan, or zebra)
- Beside pedestrian islands
- At the end of the street
- Where tactile paving is located
- Where a dropped kerb is directly opposite on the other side of the road
The ban applies to all roads or pavements accessible to the public, regardless of ownership, but not private driveways or paths serving a single property.
Enforcement and penalties
Drivers who commit an offence may get a £100 Penalty Charge Notice (reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days).
The following contravention codes may appear on penalty notices:
- 100 - parked on pavement or verge
- 101 - parked next to pedestrian dropped or raised crossing point
- 102 - double parked
Tickets can be issued immediately, and there is no legal requirement for an observation period.
Exemptions
Some exemptions apply for:
- Emergency services and medical practitioners responding to an emergency, accident or their normal operation
- Essential deliveries or collections where no safe alternative exists
- Vehicles used for roadworks or to remove obstructions
Exemptions are conditional:
- At least 1.5 metres of pavement must remain clear
- Vehicles must not stay longer than 20 minutes
- The vehicle must not endanger or obstruct pedestrians
Please note blue badge holders and taxis are not exempt from pavement parking rules.
View full details of exemptions, in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.
Location specific exemptions
We can also consider exemptions to specific locations where:
- At least 1.5 metres of pavement remains unobstructed when any part of a vehicle is parked on it
- Parking on the carriageway would block emergency vehicles
We assessed over 800 streets across Aberdeenshire. From our assessments we only recommended exemptions where pedestrians have safe alternative routes.
Exempt locations will be clearly signed and marked. Current exempt locations:
- Collieston: High Town, Slains Road
- Drumlithie: Glenbervie Road
- Fordyce: Pitchaidlie Place
- Inverurie: Provosts Circle
- Muchalls: Monduff Road, Stranathro Terrace
- Oldmeldrum: King Street
- Tarves: Tree Road
View the exemption orders.
If a location is not exempt but you think it should be, you can request an exemption.
Request assessment for location exemption
Report pavement parking
If you are aware of pavement, double and dropped kerb parking, you can report this to us. We will investigate submitted reports, but we can only take action where we see the offence.
Report pavement, double or dropped kerb parking
In cases where a vehicle causes a road obstruction (for example blocking emergency access), please contact Police Scotland on 101. Enforcement of HGV parking restrictions is also handled by the police.
Contact
If you have any queries, please use the contact form to submit them to us.