Glasgow parking charges and fines to be increased as council plans citywide 20mph speed limit

The latest Glasgow council budget includes measures to be navigated by local motorists ahead of major changes to the rules affecting roads across the city.

Councillors voted to approve proposals that will bring Glasgow in line with Edinburgh parking charges.

City centre parking in the capital is £5.60 per hour, £4.10 per hour in the West End. Glasgow’s charges are currently £4.80 in the city centre. In the West End it is the more complicated formula of “20p per 15 minutes up to 1 hour then 40p per 15 minutes up to 3 hours then 20p per 4 minutes”, with a four hours maximum stay.

Updated charges have yet to be announced with but if they are in line with Edinburgh then a two hour maximum stay in the city centre would be £11.20.

Inner city parking fee changes are expected to raise £530,000 while charges in the outer city will raise £1,890,000.

Parking fines and fines for driving in a bus lane or crossing a bus gate will also be increased.

The moves comes against the background of measures to encourage active travel and challenge the primacy of the car in Glasgow.

The Environment and Liveable Neighbourhoods Committee of the council has been told that a roll-out of 20mph speed limits across the majority of Glasgow’s roads will be delivered over the next 18 months as part of a £4.5m programme, part-funded by Sustrans.

“With 288km of streets including Glasgow city centre already subject to a 20mph limit, a wider lowering of vehicle speeds is expected to make our roads safer and encourage more walking, wheeling and cycling in quieter and less congested neighbourhoods. The move also supports our Climate Plan by helping to decarbonise transport” a council statement says.

Glasgow has previously approved a policy that would see a mandatory 20mph speed limit become the standard for all residential streets, the city centre, other main shopping areas or where there are high levels of “walking, wheeling or cycling”. Other streets in the city would generally remain at 30mph.

The council believe revised legislation and guidance on 20mph limits has opened up the potential to introduce widespread 20mph restrictions without physical traffic calming measures.

Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for Climate and Transport said a widespread 20mph speed limit would bring Glasgow in line with many other UK cities and help promote sustainable transport.

He added: “Quite simply, slower is safer. A citywide speed limit of 20mph is about improving road safety by helping to reduce the risk of accidents and the severity of injuries sustained.

“Reducing the impact of traffic on communities will help us secure safer streets and contribute to the wider shift we need towards more sustainable forms of transport, which is vital if we are to achieve our target of Glasgow becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

“We know that many other cities have a default 20mph speed limit and the evidence that’s been gathered shows a minimal impact on the journey times for cars and buses.

“We are working with Transport Scotland to take these changes forward across the city and preparatory work on the scheme roll-out will start this Spring. We will also take forward a communications campaign as work progresses to maximise awareness of the mandatory speed limit and to support a change in driver behaviour.”

Emily Gait, Grant Manager at Sustrans, added: “Reducing speed limits in built-up areas makes everyday journeys safer for everyone.

“The implementation of a citywide 20mph mandatory speed limit in Glasgow is a big step forward on an issue that will save lives. This is especially beneficial for the most vulnerable people in society, including children and people with disabilities.

“The expansion of slower speeds from the city centre into quieter, less congested neighbourhoods will enable more people, regardless of age or ability, to walk, wheel and cycle”.

The delivery of this scheme is being supported by a grant of £2.495m from Places for Everyone, an active travel infrastructure fund backed by Transport Scotland and administered by Sustrans.

The move to a default 20mph speed limit in built up areas of the city is a key strand of the council’s Road Safety Plan.

An assessment of all roads in the city has begun to determine which can be assigned the 20mph limit. The necessary legal, technical and logistical work required to implement the new speed limit will then commence in the Autumn.

Delivery of schemes on all sites is expected to be fully complete by June 2024, after being delivered in stages on a zonal basis.