Bus lane 'trap' causing cars to be written off as furious drivers attack anti-motorist measure
A bus lane has caused thousands of pounds worth of damage
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Furious motorists have blasted their local council after driving their vehicles into a trap guarding a bus lane which could cause hundreds or even thousands of pounds worth of damage.
Dozens of car owners have called out for Cambridgeshire County Council to act and prevent more motorists from falling in the “car trap”.
In a bus lane at the junction of Station Road and Harrison Way in St Ives, a small diagonal trench has been installed in the bus lane.
This has been done to ensure only buses enter the bus lane, with narrower vehicles like cars and vans falling into the hole, with wider buses avoiding the trench.
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Some locals have slammed the bus lane trap, claiming that up to five motorists a week get stuck.
The 30cm deep trench crosses the majority of the lane, with unsuspecting drivers falling into the hole and being able to come out.
One driver whose elderly father was caught in the trap said the incident left both of her parents “shaken and traumatised”.
The vehicle dropped into the hole and was seriously damaged, with the family waiting to hear if it can be repaired or if it needs to be written off.
The daughter, who wished to remain anonymous, explained: “He somehow ended up back in the same car park again.
“He said the signage was poor and if he exited the same way, he'd end up doing the same thing. So he went a different way and ended up in the car trap.
“We know of someone in their 20s who has also gone into the trap - you can't argue this is because of my father's age.
“Considering the number of incidents, there must be another way to manage the junction that doesn't cause this much damage to vehicles."
Another driver, Philippa Parker, said she drove into the trap last year, and claimed it was “full of weeds”, prompting her to complain to the council.
She also blamed the poor signposting leading up to the trap, branding them “totally inadequate”.
The driver, from Wiltshire, said motorists were driving behind her when she was waiting for her vehicle to be recovered, adding that they would be making the same mistake.
She added: “The abuse and awful language people were shouting as they passed us was also shocking. It left us with a very bad impression of St Ives afterwards."
Cambridgeshire County Council said it was only aware of 60 incidents of vehicles being caught in the trap since it had been installed 12 years ago.
Councillor Kevin Reynolds said he had little sympathy for those who had been affected by the trap, adding: “If people driving along that road cannot see a big hole in the ground in front of them then I would argue they wouldn't be able to see a small child.
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The council has insisted that there are no issues with the signage
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“I would question whether they should be behind the wheel at all..."
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