Residents frustrated at parking situation in Coolsara Park

The resident has become frustrated as the problem has had a severe impact on both his wife and his everyday life.

He said: “Myself and my wife struggle, on an almost daily basis, particularly during term time, to get our own cars out and into our driveway. Even though we have already had this widened to its maximum permitted width, we are still tortured with inconsiderate car owners parking over the drive and blocking our access onto the road.

“In addition to this, there are also regular occasions when delivery lorries have had to turn back as they couldn’t get along the street due to cars blocking their way.

“For example, our oil delivery lorry has had to turn back on several occasions as it couldn’t get stopped at our house. There would be little chance of getting an ambulance or fire engine down the street in an emergency.”

The parking problem at Coolsara Park seems to suggest a wider parking issue is at play in the city after the Star reported a similar situation in Clonevin Park recently.

The resident said: “I have raised this parking issue with a local councillor who has been extremely helpful in bringing the issue to the attention of the primary government agency involved.

“However, to date, Transport NI have been extremely disappointing as they have done absolutely nothing to help us and, in my view, appear to be in denial that there is a problem.”

Transport NI have completed site inspections but did so when schools were off and the problem was reduced, according to the resident.

He added: “As a motorist myself, I am certainly not against parking in Coolsara Park or any of the other surrounding streets but believe that it must be managed in such a way that local residents are not inconvenienced day in and day out. At the minute it is out-of-hand and dangerous.”

TransportNI responded by saying that obstruction is a matter for the police.