NEW parking restrictions aimed at tackling traffic chaos outside an Evesham school have not solved the problem, fed-up neighbours have complained.

Yellow lines were painted outside Prince Henry’s High School last month to attempt to ease the congestion problems caused by getting 14 school buses and plenty of other traffic along Victoria Avenue twice every day.

But residents Phil and Lou Paul say traffic is still coming to a standstill from one end of the road to the other at the start and end of the school day, with the congestion extending around neighbouring Greenhill.

They are calling for a more imaginative approach to the problem and say school buses should be kept out of Victoria Avenue altogether.

“The real problem is the number of buses and cars trying to enter and leave a road that was never designed for such large vehicles, and the fact is that the road is actually starting to collapse in places,” said Mr Paul. “At times it is so bad that the bus drivers actually have to leave their vehicles to discuss how to get out of the impasse.”

Mr and Mrs Paul, who have trouble parking outside their home due to the traffic and now the added yellow lines, say if coaches dropped children off at the bus stop and purpose-built lay-by along Greenhill, it would stop the problems in Victoria Avenue.

“Is it really necessary for buses to actually stop outside the school,” said Mr Paul.

“Surely it is possible for the school students to walk to the end of Victoria Avenue and a little way up the hill where there is a purpose built bus stop with a lay-by.”

But Worcestershire County Council told the Journal that the idea of moving coaches had been explored and was not a practical solution.

“The option of school coaches dropping off and collecting students from Greenhill was explored, however this option was not pursued as it would not meet our statutory duty to provide transport to the school, and would also generate a significant congestion issue if 14 large buses stopped on this main road in to Evesham town centre,” a council spokesman said.

“Parking issues along Victoria Avenue have regularly caused significant issues for school coaches, and the small-scale scheme that has been put in place recently is designed to organise the parking, particularly around the junctions and directly opposite the school to allow better movement of these large vehicles,”

Prince Henry’s High School declined to comment.