A WILTSHIRE councillor is calling on the county’s highways department to crack down on drivers who obstruct road junctions in parts of Trowbridge after receiving numerous complaints from locals.

Cllr Edward Kirk is calling for waiting restrictions at the junctions of Parklands with Seymour Road and Charles Street with Jenkins Street as part of his proposals.

He wants double yellow lines painted so that Wiltshire Council can enforce fixed penalty notices on drivers who cause an obstruction and make it difficult for others to see oncoming traffic clearly.

Cllr Kirk said: “As a Wiltshire Councillor representing Trowbridge Adcroft, I have received numerous complaints regarding vehicles parking on a junction and causing an obstruction.

“The Highway Code states that the nearest you can park to a junction is 10 metres (32 feet). My original understanding was that if waiting restrictions (double yellow lines) are not in place then the police can still issue a penalty notice for obstruction.

“However, as parking has been decriminalised, the police are unable to enforce an obstruction of a junction unless they witness the occurrence or have evidence that the person was obstructed, either whilst driving or on foot, to prove the offence. Parking on a junction itself is not an offence.

“Wiltshire Council can take on the responsibility for enforcing these parking contraventions through the implementation of waiting restrictions. Regrettably they will not support my applications for junction waiting restrictions in line with the Highway Code.

“I am waiting for clarification, but I believe that this refusal includes my proposed waiting restrictions at the junctions of Parklands with Seymour Road and Charles Street with Jenkins Street. I urge our highways department to reconsider their decision.”

Wiltshire Council said: “All requests for introducing waiting restrictions or parking controls initially go to town or parish councils. We then review them on an annual basis.We’ve considered the requests for Trowbridge and we’ve visited these particular sites a number of times.

“As there is a lack of evidence of any issues at these sites we did not consider the implementation of waiting restrictions to be needed at this time at the junctions of Parklands with Seymour Road and Charles Street with Jenkins Street.”