CONCERN over the rising number of vehicles being damaged in Inverkeithing has sparked more calls from commuters for extra parking.

Earlier this month, the Press reported that some commuters parking at North Road had suffered damage costing hundreds of pounds to their cars and now more victims have come forward to raise fears with the Press.

All had been unable to find a parking space at the station’s car park and are calling on the relevant authorities to find a solution fast.

Elaine Piggot told the Press: “It’s crazy you can’t get parked in the car park after 7.17am at Inverkeithing. Dunfermline and the outlying villages have and are expanding rapidly yet the infrastructure remains static.”

Lisa Black added: “If there’s more and more housing being built in the area and the issues are only going to get worse if nothing is done. It’s exactly the same as the problems being faced with the schools.”

When the Press questioned Fife Council before Christmas about parking facilities in West Fife as part of our Crush Hour campaign, the authority highlighted plans for a park and ride in Rosyth and multi-storey car park at Inverkeithing but said they would need to be backed with extra funding from the Scottish Government.

Alexander Stewart MSP said: “West Fife’s commuters have actively complained about a lack of parking and, as such, people are being forced to park on adjacent streets.

“This street parking is in turn said to be frowned upon by local residents and it appears that someone or some people are allegedly taking a vigilante stance and trying to deter commuters from parking in areas that have no restrictions, which I very much hope is not the case.

“Damage to someone’s vehicle is simply unacceptable and wholly abhorrent.”

Authorities have limited opportunity to build new car parks or expand on the current council car parks with the restricted amount of space at Inverkeithing station. Multi-storey car parks are the only option for the area but don't seem viable financially.

Dunfermline MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “It’s important that all concerned parties, including Fife Council, Transport Scotland, and ScotRail, work together find an appropriate solution to this issue soon. If we want to encourage people to use public transport, we need to make sure that it is as accessible as possible.”

ScotRail said they wanted to encourage more sustainable travel and were providing more storage facilities for bikes.

A Transport Scotland Spokesperson said: “We are aware of the desire for more car-parking at many stations across the rail network, including Fife, and that is why the ScotRail franchise includes a commitment to providing this where funding can be secured. A good example of this being delivered is the 25 spaces added at Dunfermline Queen Margaret Station. Opportunities have been explored to expand the existing car park at Inverkeithing station, however, there is no land available. Any proposals would be further away from the station and funding options would need to be identified to take this forward.”