Parking in Ross has once again become an issue for the town's traders and residents.
Many of them are calling for clearer signs to help everyone, locals and visitors alike to enjoy the lovely shops, pubs and cafes the town has to offer as well as the popular Market House Heritage Centre.
Staff at The Ross Gazette office often have to give directions to lost tourists looking for the Tourist Information Centre.
Traders feel that clear signs showing where certain facilities are, and the distance between them, would be helpful. Jo Ashman from Halcyon Daze said they would also like to see better signs indicating where the car parks are and short cuts from the car parks to the main streets. She said locals know about short-cuts through Pigs Alley or the Crofts but there could be clearer signs for visitors to follow.
Many locals welcomed the introduction of Herefordshire Council appointed Parking Attendants and the promise that they would provide, "good control of parking for maximum benefit."
Everyone who has driven round the town is aware of the problems that arise when cars park in the bays which are designed for goods vehicles to unload supplies for the shops in Broad Street.
Jo Ashman told The Ross Gazette that the small signs on shop walls some distance from the parking area explaining that they are 'loading bays for goods vehicles only' are not good enough. She said the signs are hard to spot and many people feel that if their cars are registered as private light goods and they are loading shopping then they are not doing anything wrong.
Many readers have contacted The Ross Gazette because they feel unfairly treated by the new Parking Attendants. They claim they have been given parking tickets because they have parked in a loading bay to load their purchases, ranging from heavy bags of dog biscuits to furniture, from nearby shops.
They want the signs to be much clearer explaining that they are not loading bays rather they are unloading bays for lorries.
The confusion about parking in Ross is not helpful to the traders who have had very difficult times recently. One thing that is very clear is that the Council needs to communicate with the traders and residents and help everyone to understand just where and when they can park.