DRIVERS in Pill are being urged not to park their vehicles in bus stops as the issue becomes an increasing problem in the village.

On a regular basis, vehicles are left in the stops adjacent to the Baltic Place shopping precinct as drivers dash into the nearby shops.

While sometimes this does not cause a problem, it does when a bus arrives to drop off or pick up passengers.

In some instances, bus drivers carry on with their journey as they have nowhere to stop.

Because of the height of the buses, many passengers also have difficulty getting on and off if the vehicle stops in the road, away from the raised pavement.

It is understood one woman broke her ankle while getting off a bus which was forced to stop in the road.

The issue has been a recurring problem in the village for some time and has reared its head again recently. As a result, temporary posters have been created by Pill and Easton-in-Gordano Parish Council to ask drivers not to park in the bus stops.

During a meeting of the parish council on March 25, Cllr Charles Exley said: “We are trying to encourage people to not use cars and instead get a bus into Bristol but the bus cannot stop to pick them up as cars are parked in the bus stop.

“There is also a similar problem with the bus stop at Gordano Gardens.”

At last week’s meeting, members decided the council should write to bus operator First to ask what it advises drivers to do when bus stops are blocked.

The council will also write to Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens to raise concerns about the enforcement of parking restrictions in the area.