Mayor Dennis O'Keefe told Monday evening's council meeting he is worried about a 'tragedy' taking place near a Tim Hortons drive-thru. (CBC)

The city council in St. John's has ordered a moratorium on new drive-thru applications, amid concerns that long lineups at some coffee shops are posing persistent traffic and safety hazards.

The only lineups cited at Monday evening's regular council meeting involved Tim Hortons franchises across St. John's, although the moratorium will apply to other franchises.

Councillors said new applications will not be approved until the city is confident traffic will not be affected.

Mayor Dennis O'Keefe said the problem is particularly bad around a Tim Hortons shop on Topsail Road.

"It's a public highway which becomes a stacking lane for Tim Hortons," said O'Keefe.

"I have seen drivers out of pure frustration pull out into the adjoining lane and try to go on west early in the morning, and one of these fine days there's going to be a tragedy there — or in any one of the other ones where public highways are used for stacking lanes for Tim Hortons," O'Keefe told the meeting.

Deputy Mayor Ron Ellsworth said the situation is unique to Tim Hortons restaurants, but added the company should not be demonized because it is so popular with consumers.

Ellsworth noted that other locations — including Thorburn Road, Ropewalk Lane and a location in the Goulds — have had traffic problems.

"Every one of them is an issue, but I also think we have to recognize that Tim Hortons is a good corporate citizen," Ellsworth said.

"They've been very good to our community. They've been very good to programs in our community. And certainly I don't want this to be a black mark on Tim Hortons in any way, shape or form."

Ellsworth said he wants the company to meet with council to work out a solution to chronic traffic problems.