The Scottish Town That Actually Wants More Traffic Wardens
In what might be the only community in Britain actively requesting increased traffic warden presence, residents of Forres in northern Scotland are demanding action against illegal parking that appears to be going largely unpunished. This unusual situation has emerged following a Freedom of Information request that revealed a startling statistic: only two parking tickets have been issued in the town over the past three years.
A Decade Without Dedicated Enforcement
Forres has operated without dedicated traffic wardens since 2013, when Moray Council eliminated these positions as part of cost-cutting measures. Since that time, responsibility for addressing illegal on-street parking has fallen to Police Scotland, whose officers possess the authority to levy £100 fines for offenses including pavement parking, double parking, and blocking dropped kerbs. These penalties can be reduced to £50 if paid within fourteen days.
Despite this enforcement capability, local residents have reported persistent problems with unlawful parking throughout the town center, particularly along Forres' High Street. The recent FOI data confirms their concerns, showing that both of the fines issued during the three-year period from January 2023 occurred on High Street in 2025, with zero tickets distributed in either 2023 or 2024.
Official Responses and Community Frustration
Moray Council leader Councillor Kathleen Robertson acknowledged the frustration felt by both residents and business owners. 'Illegal parking creates unnecessary safety issues and impacts the flow of our town center,' she stated. 'While I appreciate the pressures facing Police Scotland regarding resources, individuals must also be more considerate by parking safely and legally.'
Robertson emphasized that ample free parking exists within walking distance of High Street, urging drivers to utilize these spaces to maintain accessibility and safety in the commercial district.
From the police perspective, Inspector Neil Morrison of Moray police cited staffing limitations and the need to prioritize more serious crimes as factors contributing to the minimal enforcement numbers. 'Financial constraints and significant increase in demand requires us to make hard choices,' he explained. 'We ensure our focus and resources are aligned and committed to national and divisional priorities.'
Inspector Morrison noted that while daily dedicated patrols aren't feasible, officers will respond to incidents and issue tickets where appropriate in problematic areas. He joined Robertson in calling for personal responsibility among drivers, asking them to consider community needs and other road users when parking.
Political Dissatisfaction and Proposed Solutions
For some local politicians, these explanations prove insufficient. Councillor Draeyk van der Horn expressed particular concern about the normalization of poor parking behavior resulting from consistent lack of enforcement. 'I understand that Police Scotland have to prioritize limited resources, but issuing only two parking tickets in five years suggests illegal parking is effectively going unenforced in Forres town center,' he remarked.
Van der Horn highlighted the safety implications of unchecked illegal parking, noting it can cause accidents, reduce visibility, and contribute to traffic congestion. He proposed several potential solutions, including collecting detailed data about when and where parking problems occur, reviewing whether current signage adequately communicates regulations, and exploring greater local authority involvement in routine enforcement to relieve pressure on police resources while improving consistency.
The situation in Forres represents a unique reversal of the typical dynamic between communities and traffic enforcement, with residents actively seeking stricter parking regulation rather than resisting it. As the debate continues, the fundamental question remains whether resource-constrained police forces can effectively manage parking enforcement alongside more serious crimes, or whether alternative solutions must be developed to address community concerns about safety and accessibility in town centers across Scotland.
