Motorists baffled by on-street bays

Parking bays have been created on the region's latest red route – with white lines painted half on the road and half on the pavement.

The bays, which are big enough for two cars, have been painted on Park Lane West in Tipton half-on and half-off the roadway.

The sight of the painted lines, which are not supported by dropped kerbs, has left motorists and pedestrians baffled.

The red route was painted onto the road around two months ago but only became active this month.

Letters were sent to all residents in the area explaining that no parking would be allowed along the red route at any time.

Despite this last week, the council scrubbed out the red double lines outside two houses on the road and replaced them with the two parking bays.

David Rollison, who has lived on the road for 15 years and whose house has one of the parking bays, said he had asked the council for them to be painted.

Sandwell Council's cabinet member for neighbourhood services Councillor Derek Rowley said: "We used this type of half on/half off parking bay because the road is narrow at this point and we couldn't move the kerb due to the number of utilities that would have had to be diverted. The footpath is still wide enough to use when the bays are in use."