It’s the first day of the fines for pavement parking in Glasgow and I’m weaving my way past all the cars parked on the pavements in Glasgow wondering why Scotland can’t do decent laws. Over and over again, half-cocked ideas for new laws either never make it to the statute book, or they make it to the statute book and don’t work, or they’re ignored or abolished or worst of all, they’re laughed at. Why does this keep happening to us?

To be fair, the pavement parking ban is not one of the very worst examples but it does demonstrate some of the issues the Scottish Parliament keeps getting wrong. Pavement parking undoubtedly causes problems for some pedestrians, especially blind people and wheelchair users, so a ban on the practice is sound in principle. But you can’t run an effective and cost-effective legislature on principles alone.

The other issues that need considering are enforcement and the chances of getting caught (laws are only as good as enforcement and the chances of getting caught). Edinburgh council was the first to introduce fines for the pavement parkers last year and it claims there’s been a downward trend in the fines that have been issued. This may show that the message is getting through and fewer people are pavement-parking, but it may just show that the problem isn’t being enforced as much as it was at the start (it all costs time and money).

The same sort of thing will apply in Glasgow, which followed Edinburgh’s example and introduced its fines the other day. No doubt, in the first few weeks there’ll be a special effort to get out there and slap as........

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