Hundreds fall foul of new parking restrictions in Glasgow

Hundreds of motorists yesterday fell foul of new restrictions on parking in Glasgow city centre on Sundays yesterday.

Parking wardens dished out £60 penalty notices on a string of thoroughfares, including Wellington Street, St Vincent Street and West Campbell Street.

These are drivers who failed to pay £4 per hour or remained in the bay for longer than the two-hour maximum time limit.

The city was full of shoppers, diners and visitors from abroad.

It was the second week of new regulations which abolished free parking on a Sunday in bays and on single yellow lines.

Last Sunday, wardens only issued warning notices saying that the new rules would be relaxed for one week only.

The fines are reduced to £30 if paid within 28 days.

Canadian tourist Clement Lussier was with a party of ten people in two vehicles, trying to park in the city’s St Vincent Street.

He abandoned plans to park on the street because the group planned to do a 
sight-seeing tour, which would take them over the two-hour limit.

The 73-year-old from Montreal said: “It is not a very friendly welcome to tourists.

“We wanted to spend five of six hours seeing the sights in Glasgow and possibly having something to eat.

“It’s no use to park in a two-hour bay because I’d get a ticket.

“Now, I’ll need to find a proper car park.”

One young couple who paid for two hours parking via their mobile phone said they were charged £8.40, which includes a 40p administration fee to the management company, Ringo. Another driver who received a ticket, who did not wish to be named, said:”I’m shocked. I never knew they were charging for parking on a Sunday now.”

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: “Sunday parking charges came into effect last month and drivers who fail to comply with on-street parking restrictions risk being issued with a penalty charge notice.”

Sunday parking charges already apply in Aberdeen and Dundee and will begin in Edinburgh next year, four years after councillors in the city agreed on their introduction.