A ROAD left without double yellow lines has become dangerously congested to the despair of the people who live on it.

Traps Hill, in Loughton, has become a favourite spot for commuters with lines of cars parking on both sides of the road reducing the area to single file traffic.

Gary Roberts, 44, of Traps Hill, said: “Because they're parking both sides of the road you get cars coming up and down and they can't pass. There's road rage sometimes, and sometimes when you try and get a van in or deliveries you can't do it because they can't turn in.”

Mamuna Sheikh, 45, of Traps Hill, said: “We have got a massive parking issue here. When you take your car out you can't see right or left. Only one car can get down at a time and the buses go that way as well.”

Essex County Council has recently put yellow lines down both sides of nearby Eleven Acre Rise, but some residents have complained, that has only exacerbated the problem.

Gary Kilbey, 50, of Eleven Acre Rise, said: “It's ridiculous, I don't know what the council are doing. They've double yellow lined this road but left the part of Traps Hill that need doing. It's very dangerous. We can sit here sometimes 10,15 minutes and its gridlock, no-one will back off. It's ruined the area. People are parking further and further up the hill.”

One solution to the problem, offered by both residents and councillors, would be to put double yellow lines up one side of Traps Hill.

Marlene Archer, 60, who lives near the top of Traps Hill said: “It's not so bad up here but I still have to get up here if you know what I'm saying. It could be solved just by stopping parking on one side.”

Loughton county councillor Chris Pond has been pushing for double yellow lines for over a year.

He said: “It's a very dangerous and deeply frustrating issue. Residents and bus passengers are finding the present obstruction quite intolerable. It occurs every day, Sundays included, and is throttling the life of that part of the town.”

A spokeswoman for the county council said: “Essex County Council are aware of the parking issues on Traps Hill in Loughton. We are currently in the process of designing parking restrictions and we hope to formally advertise our proposals at the end of the year. Ensuring all road users can travel on the county’s roads without problem is a priority for us and we are always looking at ways to ease congestion”