Skip to main content

Bristol, UK: when a parking space is just too small

People park in the smallest of places, despite the best efforts of urban street designers and town planners to ensure an orderly arrangement of suitably spaced cars. Surly some spaces are just too small to park even the smallest car. But the city of Bristol, in southwest England, has taken no chances and has painted the double yellow ‘no parking’ lines in areas no one in their right mind could squeeze a car. Click here to see just how small the space is that authorities in Bristol have felt they need
May 8, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
People park in the smallest of places, despite the best efforts of urban street designers and town planners to ensure an orderly arrangement of suitably spaced cars.

Surly some spaces are just too small to park even the smallest car. But the city of Bristol, in southwest England, has taken no chances and has painted the double yellow ‘no parking’ lines in areas no one in their right mind could squeeze a car.

%$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal Click here Visit BBC story page false http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-32589228 false false%> to see just how small the space is that authorities in Bristol have felt they need to mark out as an illegal parking area.

Bristol City Council said the lines were there to ensure vehicles did not park unsafely. However, people have been laughing at the short length of the lines. Because it is a space long enough for only a model car, why bother marking it out?

One man who is against the parking zone tweeted a picture of a toy racing car beside the short yellow double lines which he criticised as “completely over the top".

"It would be virtually impossible to park anything in the space - it's even too small for a Smart car,” he reportedly said. “It's really ludicrous and so bureaucratic and just another foul-up from the council."

A Bristol City Council spokeswoman said the lines ensure access for emergency services, as well as sanitation and delivery trucks, and allow residents enough space to get in and out of their driveways and garages.

Related Content

  • Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) picks Spanish, Chinese contactors
    October 22, 2014
    The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) has contracted out two major road projects to Spanish and Chinese companies. China Hunan Hunda Road & Bridge Construction will build the 111.3km Merkote-Delbo junction-Alaba-Sodo road under a contract worth around US$50 million (€39.12 million). Completion is within two and a half years. Spanish joint venture UTE Elsameks Eco Asphalt Ethiopia 35 will handle the 63km Ambo-Welliso project. Completion is due in three years, with funding of around $59 million from the W
  • Start of Torrens section upgrade of Adelaide’s North-South Corridor
    August 12, 2015
    Work is underway in the Australian city of Adelaide on a US$657 million upgrade of the Torrens Road to River Torrens section of the North-South Corridor. Nearly 500 workers will eventually be on site to upgrade the 3.7km section of road, of which 3km will be made into a non-stop roadway. The project includes a 2km section of non-stop lowered motorway as well as an overpass for the city’s Outer Harbour rail line. Contractors will deliver six intersection upgrades as well as improved cycling and pedestr
  • Shortlist announced for International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) Awards
    September 23, 2015
    More than 30 nominated companies and individual will be running for the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association’s (ITA) Awards. The awards, to be held in Hagerbach, Switzerland on November 19, consist of nine categories, from ‘Major Project of the Year’ to the ‘Innovation of the year’. Nominee selection was difficult because of the high number of quality applicants – 110 – and impressive projects – 105 – that the judges had to examine. Finally, three to eight nominees were selected
  • Michelin offers guarantee for heavy duty tyres
    January 6, 2017
    Michelin is now giving some peace of mind to companies running fleets of heavy tipper trucks operating on construction or quarry sites. The firm says that given the risk of tyre problems when working in such tough applications, it is now offering a new damage guarantee. This applies to the MICHELIN X WORKS tyre range, for tyres equipping new vehicles or those purchased as a replacement.