BUS journeys through Milverton are still being disrupted by inconsiderate parking despite the parish council delivering letters to residents asking them to be more careful.

The No 25 service from Taunton to Dulverton began running via Milverton about 18 months ago following a long campaign by the council to have it reinstated.

But this year there have been at least two occasions where the double decker bus has been unable to negotiate Wood Street and North Street because of parked vehicles.

Now, councillors are concerned First Bus may cut Milverton from the route unless the issue can be resolved.

They arranged a letter drop last month to advise people of the problem and ask them to be more considerate and to make sure that any visitors and/or contractors were also made aware.

A council spokesperson said: “It is important for everybody to be considerate when parking to avoid any argument that the bus route is too problematic for it to continue.

“The bus service is a vital lifeline to many of our parishioners.

“Car owners are respectfully reminded that just because parked vehicles do not cross the central white line, it still means they may be causing an obstruction to traffic flows and the buses need a clear width that will overlap the central white line in narrower places.”

The most recent instance saw the 25 bus service through the village temporarily suspended ‘due to a badly parked van in North Street’.

The spokesperson said discussions were ongoing with Somerset Council about the need for parking restrictions to be put in place around the Creedwell estate junction.

First Bus agreed to run the No 25 service to loop through Milverton after local councillors pressed for it to be brought back following cuts.

The bus now travels clockwise from Station Road through Silver Street and Fore Street, up St Michaels’ Hill, and then along North Street to exit the village via Station Road.

Bus stops are located at the now-closed Globe Inn, Fore Street close to St Michael’s Hill, and North Street beyond the junction with St Michael’s Hill.

The spokesperson said: “The revised route will open opportunities for many of our parishioners who were unable to access the bus service over the past several months.”

In May of last year, a camper van which caught fire in Milverton almost sparked a major incident when firefighters from Wellington were unable to reach the vehicle because of a tractor and trailer blocking the road.

The fire crews were delayed by about 15 minutes before they could reach the scene and attack the blaze to stop it spreading to nearby properties.

The Wivey-Welly Bus Users Group is currently campaigning for a return of evening buses on the route after they were axed more than 15 years ago.

Last year, the group was responsible for the start of a trial Wiveliscombe to Wellington bus which runs twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays and travels via Milverton.