Motorists have turned a quiet Broughty Ferry street into a rush-hour “rat run”, it has been claimed.
Camphill Road residents said drivers are using the route to avoid queuing at two sets of traffic lights in Queen Street, sparking safety concerns.
Ferry councillor Laurie Bidwell said: “Many residents in Camphill Road have mounting concerns about road safety issues and want a solution. These have been heightened by two recent car crashes in their street.
“One of these was close to the junction of Camphill Road with Dick Street.”
Mr Bidwell said a local resident had highlighted “a pretty bad smash” between a BMW and a campervan at the junction of Dick Street and Camphill Road last month and that “near misses” happened daily.
Mr Bidwell said: “Between the junctions with Panmure Street and Queen Street, Camphill Road is narrow and twisting with limited sight lines at the corners.
“Residents claim that at peak rush hours in the morning and evening, the road is used as a rat run with drivers avoiding the two further sets of traffic lights on Queen Street.”
Mr Bidwell added: “To discourage the rat run and reduce traffic passing at the worst pinch points in the road, residents have come up with a proposal for a short stretch of one-way only down Camphill Road heading towards Queen Street.
“This would begin from the top of Panmure Street on Camphill Road down to Dick Street, with a ‘no entry’ sign at the bottom of Dick Street on Camphill Road.
“They anticipate that this would still stop the rat run coming up from Queen Street (which is their main complaint) and also coming down from Maryfield Road via Hill Street, thus pleasing Camphill Road residents and those in connecting streets.
“I have written to the head of transportation on the council and asked him to evaluate this proposal any any other feasible options to meet the residents’ concerns and then subsequently meet residents to discuss these options for change.”
Residents on the street agreed that the traffic was an issue.
Mike Cuthbert, who has lived near the junction with Camphill Road and Dick Street for 30 years, said: “I really hope people will see that it is best to drive carefully on the road.
“With cars parked along the side of the street, it only leaves room for a single car to pass so people really have to take care.”
Sally Carvus, another resident, agreed, adding that lorries often come up the road, creating further problems.
“It is awkward as they often try to turn into really narrow streets and block up the road even further,” she said.
“But I’m not sure it so much the number of cars coming up the road as the speed at which they drive. It is the speeding that causes the real problem.”