NOTTINGHAM City Council has been branded "bonkers" after it painted double yellow lines along both sides of a cycle path - too narrow for a car.
The track, which leads from Park Row to Maid Marian Way, is just 136cm wide.
An average five door car such as a Vauxhall Corsa has a width of 173.7cm.
The city council insists the parking restriction is necessary to protect cyclists.
But Tim Garratt, share-holding director of Innes England Commercial Property Advisors, said: "Clearly anyone who could wedge a car in that gap deserves a ticket.
"But when you look I'm not even sure a smart car could find its way in there.
"I just think that it is rules gone mad and clearly a waste of time and money.
"Parking in Nottingham is bad enough but this is just bonkers.
"People are being pushed into car parks because free areas are constantly being restricted
"Some of the car parks are ridiculously expensive and a lot of people don't see they have any other choice but to use them.
"Parking in the city needs to be made easier or else we will start pushing people away."
However, service manager for traffic and safety, Caroline Nash, from Nottingham City Council, said the lines are necessary.
She said: "We realise how this may look peculiar to the casual observer, however we are committed to making Nottingham accessible and safe for cyclists. Sadly, sometimes drivers park half or wholly on pavements making it difficult for cyclists and pedestrians.
"For the avoidance of doubt and, importantly, so that we can enforce the restrictions, we have placed yellow lines on both sides of the track.
"This covers the whole area from the centre line of the track all the way back to the building line.
"We hope this prevents further parking in this area and keeps things accessible for cyclists and pedestrians."
Jeff Allen, chairman of the Nottingham Business Improvement District, said: "We understand how important the issue of parking is to our members – retail and leisure businesses in the city centre - as the provision and cost of parking are factors which directly impact on how attractive Nottingham is to shoppers and visitors.
"We have an ongoing dialogue with the council and private car park providers about on and off street parking provision to ensure Nottingham remains competitive and attractive to shoppers and visitors."
