DOUBLE yellow lines painted along Nine Days Lane are being ignored by staff and visitors to the Alexandra Hospital.
Residents had long campaigned for the lines in a bid stop cars being left on either side of the road, effectively reducing the two-way lane to a single carriageway.
“We finally got the double yellow lines down this week and people are pointblank ignoring them,” said County Councillor Pattie Hill (Lab, Arrow Valley West).
“The local residents have gone from being delighted to absolutely furious and I’ve spoken to traffic enforcement who will be tackling the issue.”
Parking on the official hospital car park is expensive at £2.50 for up to one hour, £3.70 for one to two hours, £4.50 for two to four hours with a top price of £7.50 for up to 24 hours.
As a result visitors and sometimes staff choose to park on Nine Days Lane behind the hospital or over the road in the closes off Woodrow South.
Bob Price of the Wirehill Residents Association said an additional problem was that the double yellows don’t go far enough up Nine Days.
“We had a meeting with highway engineers 18 months ago and pointed out that the lines needed to go up to Batsford Close – however they fall some way short,” he said.
“As a result people wanting to avoid parking on double yellows are leaving their cars up by Batsford causing a hazard for anyone leaving the close.
“You will always get one or two people parking on double yellows. I think the council ought to be more vigilant, start enforcing it, set a few examples and extend the lines up to Batsford Close.
A spokesperson for the Alex said: “All staff based at the Alexandra Hospital are entitled to apply for a parking permit to park on site at the hospital.
“Where staff choose to park in alternative locations, we would remind them to park considerately.”
