INCONSIDERATE bus drivers have left one householder fuming by continually parking outside her home.

Pensioner Christine Reed, who lives by Epping Tube Station, said her quality of life was being ruined by more and more buses pulling up outside her address and leaving their engine running for long periods of time.

She said: “The level of traffic an hour since Christmas has practically trebled. They park outside my bedroom window. I've asked them to please turn their engines off so the noise and fumes are reduced and you get abuse or a lot of reasons why it can't be done.

“When you phone the bus companies they say people shouldn't be stopping outside my home well they do. They should be picking people up and dropping them off. If they just did that I'd be extremely happy, but it isn't like that.

“I want to listen to the TV or use my back garden and I can't because of the smell of the fumes.”

Mrs Reed said she was struggling to find anyone who would take responsibility for the problem and blamed the situation on the deregulation of buses.

“When deregulation came in it meant people could run buses as they want, when they want,” she said. “That's good because we should have a good transport network, but when you want to get some help it's difficult.

“It used to be local people who'd deal with local buses, now there's no-one. I've tried environmental health, I've called the council. They're very nice people but there's nothing they can do. I've tried phoning the individual bus companies and you don't get anywhere.

“Yes we all need buses, I use them myself, but a bit of courtesy would be nice.”

A spokeswoman for Arriva said: "We have issued a staff notice to all drivers reminding them that if they are waiting for any length of time they should keep their engines off."

No-one from from SM Coaches was available to comment.