Drivers ‘dumping their cars on estate’ next to low emission zone to avoid charge

'Normally there is in excess of 100 cars within the three streets. There is also a constant flow of traffic.'

Drivers hoping to avoid Glasgow’s ULEZ equivalent have found a way to dodge the fines.

Residents in the Northbridge development at Sighthill Circus in Glasgow have noticed a deluge of motorists using their estate as a ‘free car park’.

Every day dozens of drivers park up in their estate before heading into the city centre, avoiding its low emission zone (LEZ).

Peter Collins, who’s lived there for two years, is calling for harsher parking restrictions to stop drivers clogging up their roads.

The recently-established LEZ starts at the boundary of the estate, and Peter reckons up to 100 vehicles are dumped there every day.

He told Glasgow Live: ‘The main issue we have is the parking. The new cycle bridge over the M8 acts as a main link from our estate into the city centre, on the other side of the estate is the very start of the LEZ.

‘Everyone who wants to avoid the LEZ comes into our estate. It has now turned the area into free parking for the city centre.

‘Normally there is in excess of 100 cars within the three streets. There is also a constant flow of traffic.

‘It’s impossible to park, we’ve had deliveries cancelled and I’m unable to have family visit because there is no where to park.

‘It is difficult to walk safely along the street. My dog has nearly been hit twice because it is so difficult to see with all the parked traffic.’

Peter, a civil servant, claims that the mobbed streets have made it unsafe for those living there, particularly pedestrians on the pavement.

He explained: ‘It’s a nightmare. The parking space allocated to you is constantly being used illegally. The whole point of the development was to create a 15 minute city.

‘The estate was going to be eco-friendly but it isn’t at all. Hundreds of cars are here every day.

‘For me it is hugely worrying, there is so much pollution in just these streets. I open my window and they are black with what must be emissions.

‘I’ve fallen while walking on the pavement and broke my hip because I couldn’t see where it stopped and the road began due to a camper van parked on the pavement.’

Peter says he’s been complaining to the council ever since he moved in two years ago, adding: ‘It is just crazy that the amenities and infrastructure haven’t been looked at.

‘They need to look at parking restrictions to ensure it isn’t just used as a park and ride for the city centre. It will allow residents to park where they live and stop people dumping their cars.’

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson responded: ‘We are currently considering measures to protect residents in Sighthill from people coming into the area to park in this way, and will hopefully soon present these for feedback and – later this year – implementation.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.