NEW yellow lines have been painted in York's Davygate after motorists complained the old ones were confusing and left them facing unfair parking fines.

But shoppers were unimpressed with the paintwork, branding it "shoddy," and urged City of York Council to consider creating official parking bays there instead.

The Evening Press reported last month how parking attendants had been told to stop booking motorists who parked inside old double yellow lines along the kerbside.

The move came after a national parking watchdog upheld an appeal by a driver who apparently claimed that the restrictions were confusing, and that he should not have been fined for leaving his vehicle on what the paving-style appeared to indicate were parking bays.

Many hundreds of motorists are thought to have been given a ticket in recent years for parking in the evening in the area outside Betty's Caf, Borders and Debenhams.

The council said it had done nothing illegal, but after reviewing the arrangements decided to paint fresh lines on the inside of the bays to ensure everyone understood parking was banned at all times.

Pedestrians asked by the Evening Press for their views claimed the lines, which include circles around bollards, had been painted badly, and said the council should instead create official, metered parking bays where motorists could park on an evening.

Peter Brown, secretary of York Civic Trust, claimed that yellow lines across the city centre were too intrusive, and should be painted thinner. "They can be under two inches wide and still be within the regulations."

He also believed the authority should consider evening parking bays, which might assist the evening economy.

A council spokeswoman said it had used a primrose shade of yellow, which it used for all road markings within the conservation area.

"Hopefully this makes it much more clear for motorists." She did not comment on the idea of creating formal parking bays.

Updated: 10:33 Monday, February 13, 2006