Illegal Parking

To get to the bottom of the up and coming enquiry, relating to the vexed question of car parking in Invergordon, we must turn the clock back about two decades, to the time when the late Mrs Isobel Rhind was Councillor for Invergordon. Then, if my memory serves me correctly double yellow lines were painted on various streets, thereafter numerous motorists were fined for parking on the double yellow lines. The last identifiable person that I am aware of is our Invergordon Community Council Chairman Donald MacKenzie. He was charged for parking on double yellow lines in Invergordon on the day the QE 11 came in for the first time. The traffic wardens involved were Sheena Allison and Neil Hourston

Accordingly your editor contacted Mr Alasdair MacDonald the Procurator Fiscal at Tain as follows;

Dear Mr Macdonald,

Ref; Illegal prosecutions in Invergordon over decades.

The present deplorable state of the Invergordon High Street is so well documented that it would be foolish of me to highlight it further by letter to you at this time. Never-the-less there is quite another longstanding matter that should be made public and cleared up by the `Establishment'.

I refer to the numerous streets in the town which were graced, during the time of the late Highland Councillor Mrs Isobel Rhind, with double yellow lines. As far as I can recall it was largely due to the late councillor's insistence that the said double yellow lines were introduced to Invergordon in the first place.

However, it appears that the relevant Traffic Order was never implemented, yet over the decades numerous motorists were prosecuted and fined for parking on the double yellow lines. In other words charged with illegal parking and found (or pled) guilty when they were not breaking any known statute.

I appreciate that if the charges were levied for causing an obstruction on the street that is an entirely different matter and fines for such would remain standing, but paying a fine for parking on the non-legal double yellow lines in Invergordon over the decades must be addressed and refunds made where possible, would you not agree?

Can you advise me if there is a precedence for such, other than the admission by the Government that the Sky Bridge Tolls were illegal and were scrapped?

Yours sincerely. Euilleam Ross.

Mr MacDonald kindly responded as follows;

Dear Sir,

INVERGORDON HIGH STREET

I have your letter of the 4 January 2006

I have not, to date, been made aware of any problem with the legislation referred to but I have drawn your observations to the attention of the Local Authority and Northern Constabulary and await a response.

A. N. MacDonald, Procurator Fiscal.

The anomaly only came to light after the so called High Street improvements came into force and Highland Council Roads and Traffic department deemed that it was not illegal to reverse onto the thoroughfare from the herringbone parking stances, as there was no Traffic Order Bye Law in force for the various streets which were graced by double yellow lines. An oversight that stretches back `out of sight' and into the last century.

Will the Establishment own up and right a wrong, or will we see something like ‘all records are lost or even destroyed’?
Ed.