Motorists in Essex have been left bemused by 'Britain 's most pointless lane ' - a bizarre road layout which is not even long enough for the buses it was built for . Residents in North Stifford , Essex , say the 'pointless ' bus lane on High Road - which at 50ft long is not big enough for a double-decker - should never have been built . The quirk in the road means cars and vans are forced off a stretch of straight road and onto a narrow 'chicane-like ' bend in order to avoid breaking the law . Residents in North Stifford , Essex , are asking why the 'pointless ' bus lane on High Road ( pictured ) which is just 50ft long and is not long enough for a double-decker bus , was built . They claim it is a 'hazard ' Every week thousands of drivers have to make the awkward manoeuvre despite only a handful of buses being timetabled to come along the route each day . Following a series of accidents , the lane has now been branded a 'hazard ' with motorists questioning what its purpose is . Emma Taylor , 24 , a hairdresser from nearby Grays , spotted the strange road layout when she was driving at the weekend . She said : 'It really is bizarre . I drove through it on the way to my mum 's house . ' I found it so strange that I actually had to turn back and have another look to make sure I was not seeing things . The quirk in the road means cars are forced onto a narrow 'chicane-like ' bend in order to avoid the lane . 'The bus lane is so short that it is pointless and I nearly bashed the alloys on my Audi when I went around the traffic islands . ' People living near to road say there have been a series of accidents which they believe have been caused by cars struggling to get through the narrow layout as they avoid the bus lane . Miss Taylor added : ' I understand why we need bus lanes and I think they are a good idea normally but this has to be the most pointless one in the country . Following a series of accidents the lane has been branded a 'hazard ' by motorists who use it every day . ' I have shown pictures of it to my friends and they were all laughing and wondering what on earth its there for . ' Another driver , who asked not to be named , said : 'There is no obvious reason why it is here . 'It 's very narrow so I assume the highways bosses think it is slowing cars down but it 's on a 30mph stretch of road here so it 's not as if motorists are driving fast along here . ' I think it 's more likely to cause accidents rather than prevent them . 'The bus drivers must find it very amusing as well . ' A Thurrock Council spokesman said : 'At the time the bus lane was put in – in 2007 – the North Stifford village was suffering from HGVs using High Road as a short cut to and from the nearby A13 and especially when the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and M25 southbound was jammed . 'High Road had and still has safety speed restricting tables across the road width and it also has a number of aging houses close to the road , this lead to residents suffering noise , dirt and major vibration problems . 'The installation of a bus gate of this type has effectively reduced HGV traffic while still allowing public transport access to and through the village . 'The council has received no complaints from villagers about this bus gate in recent years . ' Thousands of drivers have to make the awkward manoeuvre despite only a handful of buses being timetabled .
Bizarre short bus lane in North Stifford , uk , is just 50 ft long . Drivers have branded the small stretch of road ' pointless ' and a ' hazard ' They claim it prevents accidents as it allows cyclists to ride awkwardly . But local council say they have not had any complaints from cyclists .