FOR years drivers of vehicles coming up Joyford Hill to Berry Hill and the crossroads on Park Road, have been complaining that they were taking their lives in their hands every time they crossed Park Road or turned left or right, because of the almost totally restricted view sight caused by other thoughtless or selfish drivers parking right to the edges of the crossroads.

Traffic comes both ways along Park Road, sometimes at quite high speeds and there is always a very real danger of a collision – and there have been several – with traffic coming from the right.

This danger increasingly includes the school run to and from Berry Hill Primary School when there is an intensive sudden flow of traffic every school day, morning and afternoon.

Luckily, as yet, no one has been killed or maimed.

Last year the Gloucestershire County Council came into line with concerned residents and painted double yellow lines all round the junctions where Coverham Road and Joyford Road meet Park Road.

The reasons being and I quote: ‘parking around the Park Road/ Joyford Hill/ Coverham Road crossroads is causing visibility problems at the junction. The proposed yellow lines would remove this parking from the crossroads and thus improve visibility and safety.’

I, for one, having had a few near misses over the years was very relieved that from the date that the yellow lines were laid down, at last drivers could be fully sighted for oncoming traffic and cross or turn onto Park Road from Joyford Hill or Coverham Road in safety.

Unfortunately, I should have known better and the county council needn’t have bothered, because to many drivers the yellow lines are irrelevant.

They still park on or near the crossroads on the double yellow lines, often crossing over from the other side, to block the sight of other drivers without a thought for the safety of others or the legality of what they are doing, just so they don’t have to walk the few extra yards.

Now it has been pointed out to me that disability blue badge holders are allowed to park on the double yellow lines to enter the roadside chemist shop to collect their prescriptions and this is true.

Loading or unloading vehicles such as delivery vans is allowed, but without exception nobody else is.

Anyone caught parking on these yellow lines is liable for prosecution and will be fined under the Road Traffic Regulation Act, 1984.

So, for the sake of consideration for the safety of other drivers and their passengers and as law-abiding citizens, all I can plead is: “please don’t.”

– John Belcher, Joyford Hill.