TRAFFIC wardens have a new target in their sights - buses.

They are stepping up ticketing to clamp down on the vehicles using double yellow lines to park in Southampton city centre.

Dozens of householders around Castle Way signed a petition calling for action and claimed the busy road was an accident waiting to happen because of the problem.

Bus bosses admitted they were concerned too but insisted they had no alternative but to park on the lines because of a reduction in the number of available bays.

Residents have handed their petition to the city council.

Petition organiser Colin Warburg, of Old Town Residents' Association, said: "It is perhaps only a matter of time before a serious accident takes place.

"It can be hard to get across the road safely because the view is obstructed. They also quite often leave their engines running, which makes a lot of noise and causes pollution.

"There are quite a lot of elderly residents and it can be really hard for them to get across the road."

One bus driver, who got on to a bus parked on double yellow lines, but denied he had parked it there, told the Daily Echo: "There is a problem here trying to find a space to park sometimes.

"The company has told us not to park on double yellow lines and traffic wardens have started to ticket buses."

The residents have the backing of ward councillor Richard Harris.

He said: "This has been a persistent problem, it happens every day."

Peter Shelley, operations director of Solent Blue Line, said his company needed to have some buses stationed in the city centre because of timetables.

He admitted the firm had experienced problems because of parking spaces being withdrawn from outside WestQuay and near The Marlands shopping centre.

He added: "The problem that we have raised with the council is the fact they have reduced the amount of spaces available to buses.

"We have been facing increasing difficulties. We understand the concerns of residents and we have concerns too."

Mr Shelley said there was no reason why buses should have engines running while stationary and that action would be taken against offending drivers.

A city council spokesman said: "The city council has enforced the parking regulations on buses parked in Castle Way and Portland Street and has issued parking tickets on two vehicles.

"The council has also been in discussion with the bus operators to suggest alternative arrangements for the parking of out of service buses."