Drivers have already defied the new “no parking” signs on the Stray despite warnings from Harrogate Borough Council that they risk a £100 fine or being towed away.
Within days of the council erecting the signs on Oatlands Drive at a cost of £63, pictures of vehicles parked right next to them have emerged.
The lack of compliance will add to the frustration of cyclists who are blocked from using the cycle lane when vehicles park on the Stray. This usually happens when activities, such as football matches, take place.
One side of Oatlands Drive has double yellow lines but the other side — where cars park — does not.
Read more:
- Cycle group welcomes new ‘no parking’ signs on Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive
- New signs will ‘make people think twice’ about parking on Stray, says council
We asked the council whether it has fined or towed any vehicles away since putting up the signs but we have not yet received a response.
A council spokeswoman said previously it was working with North Yorkshire County Council to find a “more permanent solution” to the parking problem.
She added that parking on the Stray breached the Stray Act 1985:
“A breach of the act allows the borough council — as custodians of the Stray — to issue a £100 fine to anyone caught parking on the Stray, or to have their vehicle towed away.
“We hope that the signage will make people think twice about parking on Oatlands Drive and allow cyclists to use the cycle path as intended.”
