Overview

The Responsible Parking (Scotland) Bill aims to give the Scottish Parliament greater control over parking regulations in Scotland by transferring responsibility for certain aspects of parking enforcement from Westminster to Holyrood. This change will allow Scotland to better tailor its parking laws to local needs and circumstances.

Description

This bill amends the Scotland Act 1998. Specifically, it removes certain parking-related provisions from the reserved matters list (matters under the control of the UK Parliament). The key changes are:

• Obstructive Parking: The bill transfers the power to regulate parking that causes unnecessary obstruction to the Scottish Parliament. This relates to sections 19-22 and section 41(5) of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
• Fixed Penalty Offences: The bill introduces a new section (51A) to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, allowing Scottish Ministers to specify fixed penalty offences for parking violations under the new powers. This enables the use of on-the-spot fines.

Government Spending

The bill is unlikely to have a direct significant impact on UK government spending. The cost of enforcement will transfer to the Scottish government.

Groups Affected

• Scottish Parliament: Gains greater legislative control over parking regulations.
• Scottish Government: Takes on responsibility for enforcing parking regulations and setting penalties.
• Local Authorities in Scotland: Will likely be involved in the implementation and enforcement of new parking regulations.
• Drivers in Scotland: May face different parking regulations and penalties depending on the new laws passed by the Scottish Parliament.
• Police in Scotland: Their role in parking enforcement may be altered.

Powered by nyModel