Drivers have been left scratching their heads at the decision to paint double yellow lines down both sides of a tiny street less than five feet wide.
Bird Cage Walk in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, is 4ft 6in wide in places, prompting members of the public to question the need for the local council to paint the lines, with one calling it "a waste of paint".
Puzzled residents took to social media after the alleyway was featured in a story about fly-tipping, all asking the same question, why bother with the double-yellows?
With the standard width of a car being around 5ft 8in, no motorist would be able to fit along the alleyway, let alone park in there, StokeonTrentLive reports.
Writing on StokeonTrentLive's Facebook page, James Botham said: "Double yellows each side? Looks like you could barely fit a scooter down there, never mind a car!"
Chris Adams added: "Those double yellows are a bit academic to be honest, a waste of yellow paint."
Sean Williams wrote: "It has double yellow on both side? What are they expected go down there?"
Chris Steele quipped: "Good job they’ve put double yellows there."
And Rachel Ashley had this suggestion: "Whoever put the yellow lines there, it needs to be a red route."
Some drivers not familiar with Hanley’s roads have nearly been caught out by their sat-navs which have directed them to turn up the street.
The Taxpayers' Alliance has previously dubbed the lines as 'an unnecessary use of resources'.
Chief executive John O'Connell told StokeonTrentLive in 2018: “Anyone with commonsense can see that this was probably an unnecessary use of resources.
“Council tax is a huge bill for families and they won't be pleased to see it spent in this way.'
But at the time Stoke-on-Trent City Council's highways department defended the double yellow lines on Bird Cage Walk which were put there around 22 years ago.
Councillor Daniel Jellyman, cabinet member for regeneration, transport and heritage, said: “These double yellow lines were put down around the turn of the century. When they weren’t there, people actually parked on the road and left items there.
"The lane is clearly not accessible all the way along to most cars, but it is accessible some of the way and motorbikes, scooters and service vehicles can and do gain access to the entire length.
“If only one side of the road had double yellow lines, there would be nothing to stop a motorbike, for example, parking on the other side; effectively blocking the public highway.
“Although they might look a bit peculiar at first glance, experience has taught us that these restrictions are necessary. It is not uncommon to see this type of thing across the country. Sometimes we have to do seemingly unusual things for valid reasons.”
