A BUSY road is being clogged up by coaches which are treating it as a free coach park, claim residents.

Up to 14 coaches have been repeatedly seen parked either side of Lifstan Way, near Apollo Drive, in Southchurch, at times bottle-necking the road right next to a traffic island.

Residents claim it is not unusual for only one lane of traffic to be able to pass the cavalcade at any one time.

Robert Mackintosh, 69, said the coaches were becoming a “nightmare” on the street and frequently obstructed the views of motorists and school children alike.

He said: “Sometimes you see cars coming up the road, pulling out to see what’s coming down the road and suddenly going in again because there’s something coming the other way.

“It’s concerning because we already have a problem with speeding on this road and there are hundreds of kids, girls at the Southend High and youngsters from Greenways, walking down during term time.

“It’s an absolute nightmare.”

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: “The coaches delay the traffic as cars cannot pass each other and it makes it dangerous for pedestrians to cross the road safely.

“I’ve contacted the council, but they say they can’t see a problem. This is the same council that chases motorists for every penny when parking and yet these coaches park all day for nothing.”

Martin Terry, Southend councillor responsible for transport, said there was little the council could do as the coaches were legally parked, but said he was trying to work out a solution to the problem.

He said: “From these images, it would appear the coaches are not parked on the double yellow lines and are parked legally.

“We are a very busy and popular tourist town with theatres and attractions that are served by coach trips and while we would prefer coaches to park in our long stay coach park, we cannot force them to do so.

“Lifstan Way is a wide road and with coaches and cars parked on both sides has adequate room for two vehicles to pass.

“However, having said all of that, I am aware of the local nuisance that this can cause and am keen to look at finding a solution.”