High Street parking fears

PARKING in Lockerbie’s High Street is becoming a significant safety hazard, a community councillor has warned. Jan Andrews believes the problem has rapidly escalated over the last few weeks, creating major barriers for the town’s most vulnerable residents. Ms Andrews says the habit of drivers blocking pavements and dropped kerbs is putting wheelchair users, the visually impaired and those with mobility issues at serious risk. She said: “High street parking that blocks pavements and dropped kerbs is a significant safety hazard. The parking in Lockerbie has been getting worse over the last few weeks. It’s getting worse as cars are just pulling up and parking on the dropped kerb. “I’ve complained to the police about it to try and enforce the law. “Cars are parked on the dropped kerb and on pavements regularly; it’s absolutely ridiculous.” According to the community councillor, the High Street currently only has one truly accessible kerb for disabled people to cross safely. When that single point is obstructed, it forces those with mobility issues to navigate the busy street during peak hours without a safe exit or entry point. Ms Andrews described a recent incident where she witnessed a van parked directly across a dropped kerb, forcing pedestrians to walk into the middle of the road just to see if traffic was approaching. She added: “Luckily the person involved was able to move about quickly. “But what if they were elderly and couldn’t move as quick? It could lead to an accident. There’s nearly been accidents in the past – what is it going to take for things to change? “I think it’s wrong. Some of the people in Lockerbie or visiting the town need to give more consideration to people who need to use the accessible dropped kerbs. “The dropped kerb near the bistro is the safest place to cross as it’s wide, but people are parking there willy-nilly.” Despite highlighting the issue for years at Lockerbie Community Council meetings, Ms Andrews expressed frustration over the lack of progress. She noted that reporting the issue to the police has become more difficult since representatives don’t attend their meetings but host a monthly Annandale meeting online instead. She added: “I’m disappointed because it’s a health and safety risk.” Her views were echoed by fellow community councillor Roger Claymore. He told of how one car had been left parked outside a shop on the High Street for three weeks with its wheels on the pavement. The matter was reported.