Police crackdown on dangerous parking as trial begins

There will be increased police presence in a village to crack down on dangerous parking as a new traffic trial gets under way.

A temporary traffic management scheme has started in Bibury, which sees coach parking bays temporarily replaced with bus stops, giving coaches ten minutes to pick up and drop off passengers.

Lisa Spivey, the leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said the trial was implemented following "complete chaos" over recent bank holiday weekends.

But Jason Edwards of the Coach Tourism Association said it was "short-sighted" and may deter coach drivers from visiting.

Up to 20,000 visitors can descend on Bibury, considered one of the prettiest villages in the UK, in one weekend, with many of them arriving by coach.

Ms Spivey said the trial was "not a ban" but "a different way of getting people in and out of Bibury".

She added there will be an increased police presence over the weekend to manage the traffic and ensure roads are not blocked.

Speaking of the recent bank holiday weekends, she said: "[The parking] was really dangerous and it made it really unpleasant both for residents and also those visitors coming.

"I've seen illegal moves being made by coach drivers reversing into those spaces without a banksman guiding them, which is highly dangerous," she said.

"Let's face it, this village was designed when haycarts and horses were the mode of transport, not massive coaches holding 50-60 people with loads of them coming at the same time.

"Coaches arrive, there's no way of controlling when they arrive. If ten arrive at the same time and there's two parking bays, it's chaos."

But Jason Edwards, deputy chairman of the Coach Tourism Association, was worried the "short-sighted" trial will deter some coach drivers.

"We do expect to be able to drop off at a central point which is safe, convenient and not obstructing any traffic," he said.

"Our customers do spend a lot of money in these places and our drivers... abide by strict regulations and laws. It's a difficult one to grasp, really."

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