Drivers have expressed their anger over hired e-scooter and bike bays in Southampton which they say are not being used - and have caused parking issues for cars.

At the end of May, Southampton City Council installed the space on Priory Road along with 13 others across the city as drop-off points for the hired vehicles - part of plans to make the city's transport network more environmentally-friendly.

But residents of the St Denys road say the scheme has barely been used since installation - and is taking up valuable room where you already have to fight for a space to park your car.

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The e-scooter and cycle bay on Priory Road (Image: NQ)

Life-long St Denys resident Frank Sheath, 75, said he thought the new bay was a nuisance and a danger.

 He said: “They should absolutely be taken away – it’s a huge mistake in my eyes. It’s a joke – more resident parking is now taken away."

Having had a car written off after a driver crashed into his vehicle while it was parked, and claiming drivers speed down the road at 50mph, he felt the bay was also an accident waiting to happen.

He said: “Not only do we all struggle to park on Priory Road but we have seen people travel up to 50 miles per hour – they will go straight into those bollards."

He added: “I think the council should return the road to how it was before and remove some of the unnecessary yellow lines so we have more chance of being able to park on our road.”

Yesterday, the writing next to the bay in Priory Road had been covered in tarmac. 

The other bays have been installed on High Street, Claremont Crescent, Pirrie Close, Bellemoor Road, Randolph Street, Falkland Road, Chantry Road, Horseshoe Bridge, North Road, St Johns Street, Wilton Road, outside Bitterne station and Sandown Road.

This follows a public consultation in November last year about the scheme.

Kelly Willcocks, 44, has lived in Priory Road all her life. She said: “Since it has been installed, we have seen a single e-scooter use the bay for around an hour.“It’s ridiculous – the bays at Horseshoe Bridge and North Road are also empty every time we pass. It was always going to cause a parking issue.”

Residents say parking is a common problem on Priory RoadResidents say parking is a common problem on Priory Road (Image: NQ) Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, Cllr Eamonn Keogh said all sites would be under review for two months following their installation.

He added: "As a council we are committed to delivering on the ambitions of our local transport plan that seeks to support a successful Southampton, a system for everyone and a better way to travel.

"The availability of hire scooters and cycles has proven very popular with residents and visitors in the city, and many trips are being made for work as well as leisure purposes. 

"It is essential that this network is connected and accessible."