DRIVERS who caused carnage during the weekend by blocking buses and emergency services through their parking have been branded “selfish” by a leading councillor.
Saturday and Sunday saw more than 100,000 additional people descend to the beaches of BCP – with chaotic scenes on the East Cliff and West Cliff as cars were parked inconsiderately.
Cllr Mike Greene, portfolio holder for sustainability and transport, said the council was “incredibly frustrated” to see some drivers parking “inconsiderately at the expense of residents and businesses” during the weekend.
Read more: BCP Council defend weekend scenes during heatwave
Cllr Greene added it is “inevitable” BCP will see people journey down to the beaches during hot weekends and that “we welcome them”.
He added: “But this sort of selfish behaviour from a minority of people is unacceptable.
“Those who depend on our bus services, such as the elderly or those with mobility problems, would have been particularly affected and we don’t wish to see this happen to anyone.”
Parking wardens were out on Saturday and Sunday issuing nearly 1,500 parking tickets – and nine vehicles were towed away. It is unclear where these vehicles were towed from.
Cllr Greene added: “One of our problems is that we are forbidden by law to issue fines at a high enough level to act as real deterrents.
“The same goes for towaway fees, where we cannot even recover the cost on behalf of our council taxpayers.
“With the support of the council's leader and chief executive, I will continue to lobby ministers for exceptions to be allowed in our hotspots.
“Meanwhile we are currently working with the bus operators to identify the key pinch points which led to the delays and cancellations, with the hope that tweaks to network regulations can help in future busy weekends.
Read more: Anger as cars block roads and pavements at East Cliff
“However, despite all our efforts, there has to be some personal responsibility taken into account.
“Our message is simple – if you’re coming to our resort, we welcome you, but please respect residents and businesses and help us protect our wonderful area.”
The scenes on Sunday were described as “dangerous” and residents have called for something to be done to prevent further incidents this summer.
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