Glasgow street turned into ‘free car park’ claim residents

People living in in Roslea Drive in Dennistoun claim that ‘selfish’ drivers are taking advantage of a lack of double and single yellow lines to dump their cars and walk the short distance into the city centre.

Locals are now urging council bosses to introduce permits or parking enforcement measures in a bid to tackle the growing problem.

Moray Malyon says the situation has become so bad that he is often forced to park seven streets away from his property.

He exclusively told the Glasgow Times: “Getting anywhere near my home is pretty much impossible between 8am and 7pm. The street is jam-packed with vehicles as people have realised they can park here for free and walk to work in town.

“It means that residents have absolutely no hope of getting a space outside or near to their homes, so while we pay to live here, we can’t park here. On the rare occasion you do manage to get a space, the second you move it’s gone. People don’t realise or care about the inconvenience it’s causing - and it’s getting worse.

“It’s hugely frustrating when you must park seven or eight streets away, especially if you have been to the supermarket, have things to carry or have a young child with you. It’s just thoughtless and selfish, I wonder how these people would feel if this was happening in their street?”

Moray claims he was forced to fork out £180 to recover his car after it towed when he had no option but to park on a double yellow line on a street a short walk away. He also says his plea to tackle the issue by having parking permits introduced have been ignored by council bosses.

He believes the problem will only get worse as more people move into the area and says the issue in Roslea Drive is now having a knock-on impact on surrounding streets.

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Moray, 30, who has lived in the area for two years, said: “I’ve raised this with Glasgow City Council and initially they said that the Covid pandemic was to blame for slowing down any proposals on parking changes, yet we are still no further forward. In my opinion I just don’t think it’s viewed as a priority. I’ve saw council vans parking on the same double yellow line that my car was towed from without punishment.

“In the meantime, folk who work in Duke Street or other parts of the city park here and walk to work. First thing in the morning cars start arriving and even at the weekend shoppers stop off and head into the city centre. There’s just no end to it and in my opinion the only sensible way to tackle it is to introduce parking permits and assign residential parking spots to those who live here.”

Roslea Drive in Dennistoun (Image: Newsquest)

Moray says that he believes the issue could eventually force locals to look to relocate.

He added: “Parking in Dennistoun has become a complete nightmare and It’s making me think twice about whether I want to stay here. It’s a shame because it’s a great place to live on so many levels but there’s just not enough spaces. If you do run the risk of parking on a double yellow, then you are facing a parking ticket, so it’s just not worth it.

“It just seems a bit ridiculous that those who work in the area but live elsewhere are able to make use of the free parking that should be for residents. Glasgow City Council are fully aware of this, but nothing is being done to tackle it. Other parts of the city have parking permits or restricted parking, so why not here? People have had enough, and something needs to change – this isn’t a car park for people and locals’ concerns need to be listened to.”

Glasgow City Council have today thrown a lifeline to residents, revealing that plans to give them priority are back on the table.

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A spokesman said: “We are well aware of parking issues in Dennistoun and we are looking at how these can be addressed.

“Initial plans for a residential parking zone for Dennistoun and Royston were brought forward in 2019 but unfortunately this development work was brought to a halt by the Covid pandemic.

“The break in this work is giving us the opportunity to review the proposals for Dennistoun and Royston and revised plans for a parking zone for the area should be available for viewing later this summer.

“We will be engaging with these communities as we seek to introduce parking controls that prioritise local residents, reduce dangerous and obstructive parking and make access to local streets easier for emergency and other service vehicles.”