PaveParking - threatened?

With thanks to citizen contributor "Iain" for drawing our attention to one aspect of some disturbing developments. "Iain" sent us this photo:

Which shows something truly dreadful. Now, as we all know, PaveParking is not 'all that' illegal. According to the Scottish Government:

Enforcement of footway parking where there is no other parking regulation in force is currently a police matter, under the “causing danger to other road users” and obstruction provisions of the Road Traffic Act (1988) and the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (1986). However, in some cases police forces take the view that they need to observe the vehicle being parked on the footway and then demonstrate that the driver had the intention to obstruct in order to be able to enforce the law, and in practice it is rarely enforced.

So what's going on? What does the hated warden think he's doing? Is he operating as a throwback to the past, and enforcing that informal "no parking" sign painted on the wall? Further contextual research was required.

We seem to remember Lib Dem MSP Ross Finnie was trying to bring forward a "Regulation of 
Dropped Kerbs and Pavement Parking (Scotland) Bill", so we heaved a big sigh of relief when he wasn't re-elected during the Hollyrood poll last year. We thought that we'd seen the end of it. Turns out no, according to newbie local MSP Kevin Stewart, his SNP colleague Joe Fitzpatrick is now championing the bill from within the governing party and Mr Stewart has gone on record as saying that Mr Fitzpatrick has his support in this matter.

Additionally, we note that the UK.gov petition website now carries several petitions calling for the outlawing of PaveParking, and only one which calls for the banning of parking outside someone else's house during non-working hours.

Finally, who can have failed to notice the recent trouble at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where visitors have been hit with £20 fines for leaving their vehicles on grass verges and pavements?

All in all, this paints a very disturbing picture, we think. A picture of a distopian future where our right to park is severely curtailed by jobsworths operating on behalf of the so-called "PC brigade" and the sinister forces of road-space reallocation. It seems that a tide is turning. There are dark days ahead - vigilance must be our watchword. We here at Aberdeen Cars will monitor the situation and keep you up to date with developments.