News: Second council paints yellow lines on lane too narrow for a car

NO, YOU’RE not suffering from déjà vu; another council really has painted double-yellow lines on a lane barely wide enough to drive a car down, let alone park it illegally.

The cycle lane in Nottingham is 136cm wide, 38cm narrower than a typical small hatchback such as a Vauxhall Corsa. The lines were painted on the order of the city council and were applied in the wake of lines painted in an even narrower alleyway by Swindon borough council.

Swindon eventually removed its lines after it accepted there were no cars narrow enough to drive down the alley but Nottingham looks like it will be sticking to its guns.

Caroline Nash, the city council’s  service manager for traffic and safety, said “We realise how this may look peculiar to the casual observer, but sometimes drivers park half or wholly on pavements making it difficult for cyclists and pedestrians alike. For the avoidance of doubt and, importantly, so that we can enforce the restrictions, we have placed yellow lines on both sides of the track.”

A spokesman said the council was unable to reveal the cost of painting the lines but said that a sign, while probably cheaper, could have looked unsightly and might not have carried the same degree of enforcement.