'Complete shambles': Wolverhampton residents slam new speed bumps which 'cause more issues'

Speed bumps were installed on Dixon Street, in Wolverhampton, last month, and the works are due to be completed in May.

However, residents living on the street have raised concerns over the installation and placement of the speed bumps, and in particular a "random island", saying that it has just made the problem worse.

A resident who didn't want to be named said: "Whilst we support the idea of speed bumps due to the speeding, the installation has been a mess.

"The way that the speed bumps have been laid out on the road is ridiculous - it is causing more traffic issues.

"The way they are installed outside St Martin's church has caused major issues for both drivers and residents.

"If I try to park on my driveway, I end up causing congestion and have received abuse from impatient drivers wanting to get past but are unable to until I have parked up on my driveway.

"The road is wide enough for three, maybe four speed bumps and that is what has been done for the most part of the road, but for some reason they only installed two speed bumps in that particular spot, and then a large random island in the middle which blocks the road - it's a complete shambles to be honest."

The outrage comes as Councillor Beverley Momenabadi welcomed the speed bumps. She said: "I am really pleased to have worked with the council and the police doing speedwatch events in the ward to implement a local safety scheme designed to reduce vehicle speeds and personal injury collisions.

"These measures will greatly improve road safety for local residents and other road users on Dixon Street. This is really important to me and will help to keep members of the public safe.

"Speeding continues to be a huge concern for many members of our community in Ettingshall, and developing safer communities here for everyone in Wolverhampton is a major priority."

A group of residents however are deeply concerned with the speed bumps though, and are hoping for there to be a revision to the placement.

Another Dixon Street resident said: "I have contacted the council and my local councillor wanting there to be a clarification as to why this huge island has been placed in the middle of the road.

"It is not a pedestrian crossing, so it is there for no reason other than being a hazard and an inconvenience.

"Some drivers are even driving on the opposite side of the road to overtake traffic due to this island, so the safety of pedestrians and drivers has only gotten worse."

A spokesperson for City of Wolverhampton Council said: "The road safety scheme on Dixon Street has been introduced to reduce personal injury accidents. The scheme was subject to a public consultation with local residents and was designed in accordance with Department for Transport (DfT) guidance which sets out specifications for height, width and spacing along the route for effective traffic calming. Due to the road being a bus route, we had to choose the type of traffic calming carefully and so used speed cushions as these provide a more comfortable journey for passengers.

"The varying width of the carriageway on Dixon Street means that the number of speed cushions also has to vary. It is however, not always possible to fit a full set of cushions across the road. Under such circumstances we are able to introduce a central splitter island of appropriate width to ensure the traffic calming remains within specification. The splitter island includes 'Keep Left' signs which are mandatory to inform drivers that they must pass to the left side of the island. Contravention of the 'Keep Left' signs is a criminal offence.

"We appreciate that the splitter island will prevent a small number of residents from parking on-street directly outside their properties. However, there is extensive, unrestricted on-street parking in the vicinity on Dixon Street. City of Wolverhampton Council’s Traffic and Road Safety will monitor the effectiveness of the scheme over the coming months.”