The new traffic measures were put in place on Park Lane in Castle Donington, Leics., in response to a spate of accidents and concerns over speeding vehicles.
However, the community is scratching their heads as the “speed tables” seem ineffective, with many claiming you can’t even tell when you’ve driven over them.
Critics have slammed the bumps for being too low to impact driving speeds, labelling the initiative a “complete waste of money”.
Acknowledging the issue, one county councillor conceded that the contractors had not built the bumps to the correct height, necessitating a redo of the work.
Local Sheelagh Williams commented: “You couldn’t trip up these speed bumps – even if you were drunk.
“I think the potholes which are everywhere around the village probably slow down the drivers more than these do.”
Williams also pointed out the poor placement of the bumps, highlighting the risk to children and parents near a nursery at the village entrance, where she believes traffic calming is truly needed.
“They are also located in the wrong place for me, drivers come speeding off the nearby bypass and the first thing is a nursery as you come into the village,” she said.
“You’ve got young kids and parents along there each day and that is where the traffic calming measures need to be.
“They spent three weeks doing this and the disruption was horrendous – all for some speed bumps which don’t even work.
“You cannot even feel it when you go over them in your car.”
Sheelagh Williams lives on Park Lane and feels ‘the work should be done by women to do a proper job’. (Image: SWNS)
Elaine Ward, 87, a long-time resident of Castle Donington, has lambasted the newly installed speed bumps in her area as “a complete waste of money”.
“I was in the car with my daughter the other day and I asked where are these speed bumps supposed to be and she said ‘we’ve just gone over them’.
“You can’t even feel them. We’ve had issues with drivers speeding around the bend and I’ve had my garden taken out twice because of accidents.
“But these speed bumps don’t work and now it will cost even more to replace them.”
She suggested alternative uses for the funds: “The money would have been better spent on repairing the potholes everywhere around here but now they will have to fork out more to fix this.”
Elaine didn’t mince words about the local authority’s oversight: “It makes the council look stupid.”
Elaine who lives on Park Lane feels the bumps ‘are a waste of money.’ (Image: SWNS)
Despite Leicestershire County Council’s design plans for the speed bumps to rise to 70mm above road level, residents attest that the reality falls short at the Park Lane and The Green junction.
Echoing safety concerns, fellow resident Julian Key, 50, said: “There’s been some pretty close calls with children and motorists along here.
“These measures were implemented to try and reduce the speed of cars, and to try and mitigate the use of this road to get them to go around the relief road.
“But I think this has failed on the traffic calming, on the reduction of speed, unfortunately.”
Paul Greenhough, lives on Park Lane and feels the speed bumps are ‘pointless’. (Image: SWNS)
Tory Councillor Ted Parton said that contractors admitted the project “wasn’t to agreed specifications” and assured further works to amend the bump dimensions.
Speaking to the , he said: Having watched traffic go over the junction from both sides over the course of two days, I have observed a lot of cars not touching their brake lights on the approach.
“Speed testing and traffic flow is being assessed at both sites. An independent safety audit will also follow.”
Mr Parton assured: “Taxpayer money had not been spent on the speed tables as they had been paid by contributions from developers of nearby estates and industrial parks.”
Leicestershire County Council said the new project is under review (Image: SWNS)
In response, a representative from Leicestershire County Council explained their evaluation process for the newly executed road features: “The performance of the speed table recently installed at the junction of Park Lane and The Green is currently under review to check its effectiveness and we have recently met with Castle Donington Parish Council, who requested the installation of traffic calming measures, to discuss this matter.
“A safety audit will also be carried out.
“This work has been funded by section 106 money, from recent residential developments in and around Castle Donington.”