WAITING restrictions have been brought in to help passengers at a Chester bus stop on a major route out of the city.
They were agreed at the bus stop on Parkgate Road opposite Abbots Park.
Vehicles parking close to the bus stop have been affecting visibility between passengers waiting to cross the road and traffic approaching from the Chester direction, according to Chester's highways manager Colin Stredder.
He recommended to a Town Hall meeting of city highway chiefs that a no waiting restriction should be imposed next to the bus stop to deal with the problem.
The proposal was advertised for public consultation and traffic engineers had one letter asking for the restrictions to be extended further along Parkgate Road.
The occupier argued that emergency vehicles had to sound their sirens when passing the parked vehicles as they were then on the wrong side of the road.
When buses halted at the bus stop, traffic approaching Chester had to come to a stop.
It was claimed there are more than 40 buses an hour, inbound and outbound, during the rush hour.
Mr Stredder said he believed Parkgate Road was wide enough for two way traffic to pass parked vehicles and he did not feel it was necessary to extend the waiting restrictions any further than had been proposed.
As a major route into the city, it was “inevitable” that emergency vehicles would use Parkgate Road frequently and unlikely that the sirens were simply due to parking.
The situation which occurred when a bus was using the stop was no different from that which was found at all bus stops on two lane carriageways, suggested Mr Stredder.
Supporting the recommendation, County Cllr Colin Bain (Lib Dem, Upton) commented: “This is essential for the reasons stated in the report.”
The city's highways and transportation local joint committee agreed the waiting restrictions should be implemented as proposed.
Councillors have now heard the measure is in force.
