By Ted JeoryA NEWSAGENT fears a pedestrian could be killed unless parking restrictions outside his shop were more vigorously enforced.Bhaskar Patel, who owns Tara Traders Newsagents in North Station Road, Colchester, said he was “growing tired” of seeing vehicles parked illegally and demanded action from council officials.

By Ted Jeory

A NEWSAGENT fears a pedestrian could be killed unless parking restrictions outside his shop were more vigorously enforced.

Bhaskar Patel, who owns Tara Traders Newsagents in North Station Road, Colchester, said he was “growing tired” of seeing vehicles parked illegally and demanded action from council officials.

Drivers are allowed to leave their vehicles in parking bays on the road near his shop for a maximum of 30 minutes, with no return permitted within two hours.

According to Mr Patel, vehicles are left there for hours, forcing other drivers to park on the double yellow lines near the junction of Causton Road, in turn blocking the view of motorists turning right from Causton Road.

One driver said yesterday: “One day somebody will get seriously hurt because of this. I'm always nervous turning right at that junction.

“They've obviously made it double yellow lines for safety reasons, but it's useless unless it's enforced properly.”

The East Anglian Daily Times approached the driver of a coach parked on the double yellow lines yesterday morning and he said: “I've just dropped off the kids for the local school and now I'm having a sandwich while I wait for my boss to tell me my next job.

“There's nowhere else for me to park around here. What people don't understand is that coach drivers have to stop to take a break by law. We're fined £400 otherwise - where can we park?”

Asked whether he considered his parking on the corner of a junction dangerous, he replied: “People turning right onto this road can easily see behind me if they've got any common sense.”

Mr Patel said he had been losing trade because the parking bays were blocked by vehicles left there for longer than was permitted.

“These bays are for shop customers, but how many people can you see in any of the shops here at the moment?” he added.

“These cars and vans are just left here - and that's why people then park on the yellow lines. Parents from North Primary School across the road are always complaining to me about it.

“I think someone could get killed turning out that junction soon - all we need if for the wardens to step up their patrols.”

Steve Brown, parking enforcement manager at Colchester Borough Council, said he would look into Mr Patel's complaint, but insisted the area was well patrolled by traffic wardens.

“In just 13 days of July so far, attendants have issued 12 penalty notices in North Station Road during 12 hours of patrolling,” he added.

“If a vehicle is on a double yellow - and even if it is right next to a junction - we cannot issue a ticket if there is loading taking place.

“We can only do what other members of the public can do and that's call the police to report an obstruction and they will give us a good response.”

ted.jeory@eadt.co.uk