Drivers ‘changing behaviour’ due to Elgin parking crackdown
Vehicle owners in Elgin are said to be changing their behaviour due to an ongoing clampdown on illegal parking in the town centre.
The police have issued 533 tickets since the launch of the crackdown in March.
Offences have included parking on double yellow lines, driving through a no-entry sign and unauthorised use of disabled bays.
According to a report going before Moray Council next week, there are signs it’s having an impact on driver habits
Kelly Wiltshire, the council’s strategic transport manager, has written: “Police Scotland have reported that they are seeing a difference and change in behaviour of drivers in Elgin, with fewer cars being reported on the High Street in particular since the start of the campaign.”
The crackdown by the police is being paid for with £10,000 from the Elgin Common Good Fund.
Moray Council agreed the money could be used to tackle parking, after the move was suggested by Elgin members.
Common good cash will fund the enforcement for six months, paying for about 150 hours of police time, with the work being carried out as overtime.
The period was set at six months by Moray Council until a new organisation called the Town Centre Board is established.
It’s believed that his body, which will be responsible for distributing £20million from the UK Government Levelling Up Fund in Elgin, is going to take on the issue in the future.
Parking in the centre of Elgin have been affected by the scaffolding around the Poundland building.
As a result, traffic has been diverted for several years up Batchen Street.
However Poundland is expected to open again later this summer.
Once that happens there are plans to install rise and fall bollards and make Batchen Street pedestrian-only.
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