Aberdeen City Council was awarded a £1.76 million grant on 26 May from the Scottish Government’s Spaces for People fund to carry out temporary works in the streets to help provide space to physically distance in line with government guidance.
However, to date all they have done is lay down a myriad of cones and signs as if the public will comply with whatever they had in mind. No monitoring of the situation. And no enforcement.
Will anyone in Aberdeen, be it police or city council, ever actually enforce the regulations they introduce? Or do they just believe that the public will do everything they are told to do?Because if that is the case, they are wasting their time.
Our glorious leaders are adept at introducing new laws, regulations and rules, but utterly hopeless at enforcing them.
Want to drop litter on the street? Go ahead. No one is going to stop you and fine you.
Allow your dog to defecate wherever? Feel free.
Use your mobile phone whilst driving? Fat chance you will be apprehended.
Park on the pavement? No problem.
Cycle on the pavement? Of course, the City Council loves all forms of cycling.
Scream and shout in a drunken state in the early hours of the morning. Go on, enjoy yourself.
Fail to socially distance whilst queuing to get into the pubs? You're only young once. Not a problem.
I live in the hope that one day someone will grasp the baton, and actually take responsibility for enforcing the laws our leaders dream up whilst lurking behind their PC with coffee cup in hand.
Given that the police no longer deal in a proactive manner with crime, particularly what they would deem petty crime (but no one else would), it is time we had a second level of policing in this country that enforces compliance with the law.
This is where the Council could step in and use some of this "Spaces for People" money to employ some city wardens with legal powers to enforce public law.
Wardens that could tell those queuing outside Soul Bar to spread out, or be fined if they do not comply.
Wardens that stop cyclists on Union Street pavements or extended pavements from cycling in them. Or fine them if they do not comply.
Wardens that stop people for dropping litter. Or fine them if they do not comply.
Wardens that tell drunken revellers to keep their voices down after 10pm. Or fine them if they do not comply.
No one is saying this would be any easy job to do, but what's the alternative? Simply allow everyone to do whatever they want. Anarchy?
I don't suppose the Council will ever do this. It will need some other cities to do it first before our Council leaders dip their "politically-conscious" toes in the water.
But city wardens are surely the only solution to the problem of city centre feckless lawlessness, if the police are no longer going to tackle it.
