HOW will a raft of new and permanent parking restrictions - about to be foisted on the long-suffering motorists of Galashiels – be enforced without traffic wardens?

That was the question puzzling the Eildon Area Forum of Scottish Borders Council last week when it approved wholesale amendments to the town’s Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).

The changes, which have already survived a public consultation process, could now be implemented as early as the end of this month.

According to SBC assistant engineer Gary Haldane the new regime will “aid the movement of vehicles within the town”.

The TRO takes account of the original traffic management aims of the Galashiels Inner Relief Road (GIRR) and the need to accommodate the Transport Interchange, currently under construction in Stirling Street.

But Galashiels & District councillor Sandy Aitchison claimed the restrictions would only be effective if they were properly enforced.

And since Police Scotland’s decision earlier this year to summarily withdraw the traffic warden service, he feared this would not be the case.

“I have driven through a near gridlocked Galashiels on three occasions recently and have not seen a single police officer on the street while motorists are struggling to progress past badly or illegally parked vehicles,” said Mr Aitchison.

“The council was told back in March that the police would continue to enforce road traffic in relation to dangerous and obstructive parking after the wardens went, but I have seen little evidence of that.” The forum, comprising SBC elected members and community council representatives in the Eildon area, which also includes Melrose and Selkirk, agreed it should be given a full update on the parking enforcement situation in Galashiels at its next meeting in November.

Forum chairman Councillor Bill White said a working group, set up by the council in March to examine the feasibility of SBC running its own decriminalised parking enforcement scheme, was due to complete its report at the end of October.

However, the prospects for an SBC running a scheme which will cover its costs appear remote.

Councillor Gordon Edgar, the executive member for roads and transport, has already indicated that such a scheme, involving the widespread imposition of on-street parking charges, would take several years to evolve and was unlikely to ever wash its face financially.

The forum agreed that representatives of that working group and Police Scotland should attend the November meeting to answer questions from members and the public on parking enforcement across the Eildon area and specifically in Galashiels. The new TRO for Galashiels will see new “no waiting at any time” restrictions introduced in sections of Balmoral Place, Stirling Street, Dale Street, Elm Row, High Street, Sime Place and on the north east side of Huddersfield Street.

Several new “no loading or unloading at any time” areas will be created in High Street, Sime Place and Stirling Street.