A BILL to ban double parking and parking on pavements has been backed by a committee of MSPs.

Sandra White, SNP MSP for Kelvin, wants a new law to make it illegal to park on pavements to make it safer for pedestrians and people with disabilities.

The Footway Parking and Double Parking Bill has been backed by the Local Government Committee who said it identified a serious problem.

However the MSPs did have some concerns how the law would work in practice.

Kevin Stewart, committee convener, said it agreed with the principles and aims of the Bill.

He said: “For those affected by obstructive parking on pavements, it can be a serious problem. We were overwhelmed by the number of comments we received from members of the public on this issue. We heard from wheelchair users, people with visual impairments and young families with prams about the very real impact this can have on their day to day lives.”

Mr Stewart said concerns over how it could be policed were raised and required to be addressed.

He said: “The Bill before us is a positive step in addressing this issue. However, there is much more detail needed in order to address how this would work in practice. We believe more thought needs to be given to ensure the Bill would be enforced consistently across Scotland.”

He said there were concerns about the cost of administering the Bill.

The bill also bans parking next to dropped kerbs to ensure access for wheelchair users.

The bill may not become law as it has been ruled out with the remit of the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Government has said that no further action can be taken to progress Ms White’s bill until powers are devolved from Westminster that would allow the Scottish Parliament to pass such a law.