Motorist numbers in Inverness city centre spark worries over coronavirus rulebreakers
An Inverness resident has raised concerns that people are ignoring official advice and continuing to make unnecessary journeys during the coronavirus pandemic.
Roderick Mackenzie (71), an artist and musician who lives in the city’s Kenneth Street, is concerned over the spread of Covid-19 because he is classed as being at risk due to his age and the fact he suffers from asthma.
As he continues to self isolate he says he has noticed there are still lots of vehicles using his street and neighbouring Tomnahurich Street as well as groups of people standing too close together.
He said: “It’s just ridiculous and I have confronted quite a few people. I am obeying the rules and these people are not.”
Police Scotland said it has high visibility patrols in place across the country, and generally the majority of people are observing the rules.
Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “It’s clear that the vast majority of people are complying with the measures. Where our officers have encountered people outside, they’ve been able to engage with them or educate them on why it’s so important to follow the guidance from our public health experts in order to save lives and protect the NHS.
“There will always be people who refuse to comply, but the low number of penalty notices shows they are in the minority and in those cases we’ve had to use enforcement as a last resort.” This is a big change to the way people live their lives and they need to adjust to that.
“There were issues with people driving to some outdoor spaces such as parks and we will address this, working with our partners in local authorities where appropriate.
“We have been given extraordinary powers in an extraordinary situation, powers we would not normally wish to have, but I’d like to thank the public for helping and supporting us. We police with the consent of the communities we serve, so a positive relationship with those communities is of huge importance to us.”
The current advice from the Scottish Government is to stay at home and to only go outside for essential food, health and work reasons.
