A traffic calming measure at the entrance to a Fife town is doing “more harm than good”, according to a resident.
Nichola Mitchell says speeding has become noticeably worse since a traffic island was installed outside her South Road home.
The mother-of-three has called for the system to be removed, just two months after being constructed by Fife Council due to concerns from residents.
However, Mrs Mitchell says the system has caused chaos on one of the main entrances to Cupar, with traffic tailing back through the town as a consequence.
She said: “It is a very busy road and cars may be speeding on it, but I was very shocked when traffic islands were put up there.
“We have lived in this house for two years and had not heard of any accidents. There are now times when traffic is at a standstill.
“I just think that the traffic island is not appropriate for such a busy road. It’s doing more harm than good.
“We’re doing what we can to make people aware of this situation.”
The traffic calming measures were put in place after concerns were expressed by residents, with public meetings on the matter attracting a strong turnout from the community.
An action group was formed, with police teams monitoring drivers at the site to measure the extent of the problem.
Explaining the process behind the installation of the traffic calming measures, Colin Stirling, lead professional at Fife Council’s traffic management team, said a thorough assessment of the site had been conducted before construction went ahead.
“We’re sorry to hear concerns have been raised about the traffic island, as we’ve heard from a number of people who have given positive feedback about the scheme, which they feel has resulted in a reduction in vehicle speed on South Road.
“This project dates back to 2012, when concerns were raised by local residents. At that time, the community felt strongly about traffic speed and safety on that stretch of road.
“Two public meetings were held that year and a residents’ action group was set up to address the issues.
“Following that, surveys did confirm traffic was travelling at speeds over 30mph. From there, proposals were worked up based on feedback from the local community and were widely publicised through local news coverage.
“The scheme was also commended at the council’s north east area committee as an example of good working practice in relation to engagement with the local community and involving residents in the development of scheme proposals.”
Mr Stirling added: “As with all new road layouts and new road safety measures, we will continue to monitor the effectiveness in the coming weeks and months.
“It is planned to carry out post-works speed surveys so we can get a direct comparison with the previous layout.
“It is important that new traffic calming features are given time to settle in and allow local drivers to become accustomed to the new road layout.”