A MOTORIST is leading a protest against new parking bays in the town centre which have caught out dozens of unsuspecting drivers.

Ian Heron received a parking ticket after leaving his car in a marked bay in Market Street which was recently designated for bus and coach parking only.

He says that nine other cars parked alongside were also given the tickets, and he wants the owners to contact him to join a campaign against the restrictions.

The bay is marked with a white dotted line, and street signs on railings alongside it show the restrictions - which apply between 10am and 4pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

But many car owners are either ignoring the signs or do not see them.

Mr Heron, of Hillside Avenue, Whitefield, said: "I cannot vouch for the other nine drivers, but I would imagine they shared the same sense of disbelief when they returned to their cars. Having read the parking ticket, it took a short while for it to register that it was valid because of the discreet nature of the signs advertising the parking restriction.

"The new bay follows on from a clearly-marked bus-only bay and an unrestricted zone, and cars naturally just follow in line. The alternating mixture of parking availability is confusing. The signs on the new bay are discreet and could certainly be described as low level and driver unfriendly. The top of the first sign is only one metre off the ground."

Mr Heron plans to contest the parking ticket and has already written to NCP to express his intention. He placed a newspaper advert looking for other people who were disgruntled about receiving a parking ticket in Market Street, and has already been contacted by four people.

Because cars are filling the specially marked bays, coach drivers have been forced to park illegally, either outside the bays or on double yellow lines, blocking the road. Vigilant attendants have placed parking tickets on the cars parked in the new bay, though the coaches were not punished for parking illegally. A spokesperson for Bury Council said: "A Notice Of Intention to introduce a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), namely a coach bay on Market Street, Bury, was posted from June 10 to July 1. This advertising of the making of the Order was then advertised on July 22 and became operative and therefore enforceable on October 27.

"A number of Penalty Charge Notices have been issued on Market Street since that date, but this will include other contraventions as well as parking in the coach bay. It is fair to say that a good proportion will be for parking in the coach bay. No dispensations have been given for them to park in contravention of the TROs. However the TRO covering the double yellow lines is incorrect in that the lining does not match the Order and therefore cannot be enforced until it has been corrected. Therefore it may be this that is causing the question to be raised rather than the misunderstanding that coaches have been given a dispensation. This has been brought to the attention of the Traffic Management Section who are checking on the matter."

The new bay is directly outside Bury College"s Millennium Centre, where car users were informed of the new restrictions.

Contact Mr Heron on 07849 304334 or iandheron@aol.com.