Motorists clogging up a Nantwich village by parking badly are forcing bus drivers to divert from their normal route, it has emerged.
Arriva’s number 84 service has had to bypass Willaston village centre a number of times because it cannot get through.
Now councillors are calling for action to crackdown on inconsiderate parking causing congestion in the village.
Willaston and Rope Ward Cllr Brian Silvester said: “Parking is a chronic problem in the centre of Willaston because there are many terraced houses with no off street parking.
“I have been calling on Cheshire East Council (CEC) for some time to review the existing parking restrictions in Willaston to provide additional on street parking for residents.
“Also at my insistence Cheshire East has requested Police and PCSOs patrol the area at times when the parking problems occur so action can be taken against inconsiderate parkers.
“It is because of these inconsiderate parkers that buses cannot use Wistaston Road and have to use Crewe Road instead.
“There are many elderly residents in the village and they are not able to walk long distances and this diversion of the bus service is causing them considerable problems.
“In some cases it could result in some residents not being able to use the bus at all. The answer is to solve the congestion not divert the buses.”
There was a proposal at the beginning of 2013 to paint yellow lines from the corner of Crewe Road on both sides of Millstone Lane to Turner Street. However this has never been done for some reason and the situation just gets worse and worse.
This is not just a problem in Willaston; double parking is a blight on Nantwich. I have complained to my local councillor and he referred it to the council, whose response was pathetic, along the lines of “no money, and anyway it’s a police matter”. The police know it’s going on, but totally ignore it (but you try driving 5mph over the speed limit). Millstone Lane is an absolute disgrace, and on my own road, I have had three deliveries refused because the whole road is double-parked. Why on earth won’t the authorities tackle this? Is double parking on the pavement now legally acceptable? Come on guys, get a grip!
Motorists are, by nature, a very inconsiderate breed. Mostly they park where it suits them with no consideration for the problems they cause to others. Obviously, yellow lines patrolled by a warden would be one solution. Diverting the buses is the other. What is the betting?