BRIDPORT is grinding to a halt because of increasing traffic congestion, trade leaders have warned.

They say business is being lost because the streets are often choked with cars and lorries and there are too few parking spaces.

A call for action over traffic jam hotspots was made by Chamber of Trade spokesman Mike Harvey this week.

He told members of town councils Highways and Transportation Subcommittee that Bridport was becoming gridlocked.

Serious problems that needed to be addressed included:

* Replacing zebra crossings with light controlled ones. * Hold-ups caused by delivery vehicles, especially in South Street * The positioning of some market stalls, especially outside Boots. ,,h Delays at the Safeway traffic lights. ,,h Mr Harvey said cars were sometimes backed up to the A35 because the town centre was so congested. Weekend visitors were being put off coming and there was not enough car parking within walking distance of the town.

Coun Leader Charles Wild said the problem at the Safeway junction was particularly horrendous. Cars often backed up to the Crown Roundabout and had caused several accidents.

Town Surveyor Bernard Paull said highways engineers were planning further changes to the timings of the lights and, possibly, to the layout of the junction.

But he said they had ruled out any possibility of access to Safeway being provided via the Bradfords junction off Sea Road South because it would increase traffic on the trunk road.

Coun Tony Harrison complained that traffic wardens were not doing their job properly and that lorries parked on the pavements were being ignored.

There was no zero tolerance approach.

Coun Gill Fifield said the people of Bridport also had a strange disregard for double yellow lines which she had never encountered in any other town.

It is such a strange mentality here, she said.

Coun Harrison said people also ignored the zig-zag lines to park near zebra crossings.

Chairman Martin Ray said: Thats quite a serious offence.

County Highways chief Brian Beldham said the issues raised by Mr Harvey involved all three local authorities V the town, district and county councils. He suggested he write letters to each of them outlining the Chambers concerns, which Mr Harvey agreed to do.