Chaos in Asda car park as shoppers are stuck inside their vehicles for up to FOUR HOURS

Chaos in Asda car park as shoppers are stuck inside their vehicles for up to FOUR HOURS when traffic lights fail and some even give up altogether and get the bus home

• Shoppers at Asda’s Gloucester branch were left frustrated after getting stuck 
• Motorists spent four hours trapped in car park, with some abandoning vehicles
• Problems were caused by temporary traffic lights and roadworks near the store

Frustrated shoppers spent four hours stuck in an Asda car park this weekend, as traffic lights near the exit caused chaos for dozens.

Some irked motorists abandoned their cars and took a bus home on Saturday in the hope that the congestion would clear later, but were disappointed when they returned five hours later with the car park still backed up.

The problems were caused by roadworks just outside the Asda store exit in Metz Way, Gloucester.

Frustrated shoppers spent four hours stuck in an Asda car park this weekend, as traffic lights near the exit caused chaos for dozens

Sarah Sawyer, of Gloucester, said: ‘My husband and son were in the queue trying to get out at 2pm.

‘They subsequently left the car there and got the bus home. We missed a very important engagement because we had no car.

‘I rang Asda and they said they couldn’t marshal it because of health and safety. I then rang the council and was told it was the highways team.

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‘When I got through to the highways department they said they could do nothing other than look at the traffic lights.

‘The result was that no one was willing to go and sort it out,’ she added.

‘The front of the queue was moving. It was the people at the back of the queue in the multi-storey car park who were stuck.

‘They should have shut the car park until it cleared.

‘All it needed was for someone to stand at the “give way” section and help manage the flow of cars. My husband tried and got so much abuse he gave up.

‘We were let down by Asda’s bad management’.

The problems were caused by roadworks just outside the Asda store exit in Metz Way, Gloucester

Another man who asked not to be named said ‘I was in the multi-storey car park.. To get out of my parking space took 30 minutes, then to get to the bottom of the ramp took two and a half hours.

‘Then it took another 20 minutes to get out. What a joke.

‘I rang Asda and they said management were coming out to sort it. I never saw anyone.

‘It was nearly four hours of my life wasted – I’m not happy.

Another shopper, Sean Pearce, said ‘I was concerned about receiving a ticket for over-staying in the car park.

Some irked motorists abandoned their cars and took a bus home on Saturday in the hope that the congestion would clear later, but were disappointed when they returned five hours later with the car park still backed up

‘I rang the store to give them my car details. They said they had enquired about the phasing of the traffic lights to no avail.

‘I then called Gloucestershire Highways. They said that they were unaware of any works and were unable to help.

‘I then called the police and, after waiting around 30 minutes, I spoke with someone who reluctantly recorded an incident.’

Mr Pearce said his complaint was that no one seemed “willing to take ownership” of the problem.

No official comment on the weekend situation has yet been made by either Asda, the council or the police

‘I appreciate works have to be done, but we really should expect a minimum disruption.’

Tiffanni Harding claimed some drivers blocked crossings, making it hazardous for those on foot to navigate the car park.

She said some people in cars did this in a bid to jump into the queue ‘even though there was no space at all’.

‘I had to walk into the road with my baby, as well as an elderly lady who then struggled to push her trolley back up to the path,’ she added.

‘Then another elderly lady crossing paths with me went to walk and the car moved forward, even though there was still no room for her car to get in.

‘This resulted in the elderly lady getting a bit frightened of the moving car, which shouldn’t have been blocking the walkway anyway.

‘Rules should still apply to keep those areas clear, so people can walk safe when crossing.’

Other drivers frustrated by gridlock took to social media to complain.

No official comment on the weekend situation has yet been made by either Asda, the council or the police.

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