COACH drivers bringing tourists to Southend are struggling to find parking following more restrictions.

Thorpe Hall Avenue is the latest road to have parking restrictions implemented, leaving coach drivers with fewer places to park.

Swallow Coaches regularly bring passengers down to the area and managing director Kevin Webb was livid with the recent controls.

He said: “It’s crazy and absolutely ridiculous. They closed Seaway at the start of the year so we couldn’t park there and they now keep introducing restrictions.

“I don’t know what the council expect - the people on the coaches are the ones who are bringing in the revenue. They won’t get it if they don’t have people brought in.”

Plan Ahead bus driver, Paul Etheridge, was concerned that he wouldn’t have anywhere to park in the area after the latest restrictions.

He said: “It’s getting really awkward now I have to admit.

“We keep finding new roads to park down where we’re not causing any harm to the residents and yet they keep using these restrictions.”

In response, Southend Council said: “When we removed the seaways coach parking (to create more car spaces for visitors), we arranged official coach parking with Arriva at Short Street which is widely advertised – this is where coaches can park.

“The fee includes a free lunch and tea for the drivers too.”

Last week, councillor Tony Cox, responsible for transport, said: “Earlier this year we introduced designated coach parking at Short Street and this is where coaches are encouraged to park once they have dropped their visitors off. We have had concerns raised by the local community about coach parking in certain areas and in response to this we have put in experimental coach parking prohibitions in Lifstan Way, Ness Road and Thorpe Hall Avenue and will be monitoring the impact of this.”