Campaigners want one way system to help ease ferry traffic congestion - and backed calls to move ferry terminal to Fairlie.

Largs Community Council say they are disappointed in North Ayrshire Council's recent decision to enforce historic double and single yellow lines in the area.

They say the sudden move has simply made matters worse regarding the chronic parking problems in the town.

Andy Adair, chair of the group's roads sub-committee, said: "We had a meeting with North Ayrshire and CalMac last October in which we suggested a one way system at Bath Street, so you wouldn't be able to turn off the Main Street into Bath Street, and instead you would have to go down Charles Street, May Street or down Union Street to get to Bath Street to get to the ferry.

"North Ayrshire Council didn't want that, but we received support for the one-way idea from Cal Mac.

"It would be better having all the cars filtering into the same one way system going into the ferry and it would mean that they would have three alternatives to get to that one way system.

"We also suggested that local residents should get parking permits in Bath Street, Union Street and Sandringham areas, but this was also rejected."

North Ayrshire Council have now removed double yellow lines in some areas last Friday after controversially re-painting them to enforce road regulations set in 1982.

Attempts to find a solution to the congestion problem around the terminal have been accelerated after an increase in the volume of ferry traffic following introduction of the Road Equivalent Tariff regime.

Councillor Alan Hill recently said that the ferry terminal should be moved to Fairlie, arguing that CalMac had become 'a victim of their own success' - and his call has now received support from the community council.

Mr Adair said: "Either bring the one way system into the equation or move the ferry terminal to Fairlie - that would be the best move of the lot."

He also challenged council chiefs over the introduction of the yellow lines.

The local authority said last week they had worked alongside CalMac, Police Scotland and the community council to identify a number of traffic management improvements.

But Mr Adair told the News that at no point did Largs Community Council back re-enforcement of the double yellow lines,

Meanwhile local resident David Middleton - who had complained about the lines last week - told the News he was baffled by the council now reverting some of the double yellow markings to single ones instead.

He said: "The company that put down the yellow lines in Bath Street to our surprise turned up to remove one of the double yellow lines in front of The Clark Memorial Church that they had only put down last week.

"This would now appear to take us back to square one, in effect gridlock as it will be impossible to have a designated ferry lane on the west side of the street, and restricted parking on the east side and still allow traffic to flow freely in both directions.

"This was the problem in the first place and apart from the residents now being restricted in parking, it appears nothing has altered in alleviating the gridlock 20 odd days of the year.

"It is absolutely ludicrous and has done nothing but cause chaos and massive inconvenience to the residents."

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We are in the process of updating the road markings on Bath Street. A section of the road initially had double yellow lines painted on it when it should have been a single yellow line. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”