Double yellow lines for two pavement parking ban streets

Edinburgh will introduce double yellow lines on Regent Street and Marlborough Street to enforce a new pavement parking ban after vehicles obstructed these roads.

The city council initiated the ban to safeguard pedestrians, including wheelchair users and parents with strollers.

Since the enforcement began last Monday, city officials have been assessing 500 streets for compliance. They found that refuse collection trucks couldn’t navigate the aforementioned streets due to the side-by-side parked cars.

Local resident Victoria Watson reported damage to cars and difficulty for vans in exiting, expressing hope yet skepticism over the effectiveness of the new lines without prior site evaluation.

The lack of parking has also raised concerns among residents about where displaced vehicles will go.

Edinburgh is the first Scottish city to exercise the powers granted by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, which includes prohibiting parking on pavements, at dropped kerbs, and double parking — except for delivery vehicles.

The council will not hire additional staff but will have current parking attendants enforce the new rules.

Council Transport Chief Scott Arthur noted that the lines, set to be painted this Monday, come as a rapid response to narrow street concerns and are part of ongoing citywide surveillance to ensure road safety and accessibility, including for emergency services.