Britain’s ‘most bonkers’ highway markings are to be scrapped

‘Britain’s most bonkers’ wiggly highway markings are set to be scrapped as council chief pressured to apologise for going £1.1m over finances. 

The complicated highway markings appeared on the seafront in Clevedon, Somerset final Autumn and precipitated chaos as drivers started to swerve across the lanes, dubbed the ‘driving lane for drink drivers’.

Furious native residents staged a ‘conga line’ protest in fancy costume amidst the widespread media ridicule of the mission.

Now the controversial adjustments look set to be reversed – costing one other £375,000

The authentic finances for the Clevedon Seafront scheme was £201,000 however on account of unexpected prices it ballooned to £1.357m.

The traces had been launched as a part of an effort to make the highway extra pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists, with work additionally introducing a 20mph velocity restrict and making the highway one-way

New crossing factors had been additionally added, together with a segregated biking lane, a spherical circle that locals labelled an ‘alien touchdown pad’

It will value officers one other £375,000 to undo, studies the BBC.

North Somerset Council declare they had been meant to cease drivers from driving too near the cycle lane, however Transport professional Audit West has concluded that the brand new format doesn’t work. 

The chief of North Somerset Council Mike Bell has apologised for the clear errors made and vowed to ‘discover the cash’ to repair it: ‘The massive mistake was that we applied a scheme that wasn’t supported by the neighborhood and I’m actually sorry that occurred.

‘We did not get the session and engagement proper, it occurred in the course of the Covid pandemic and, because of this, we have delivered a scheme that did not work for folks.’

Locals held a protest by forming a conga (pictured) and began a marketing campaign to get the wiggly traces eliminated after pictures went viral and was memes

Protesters pictured combating to get the wiggly traces eliminated. The chief of North Somerset Council Mike Bell has apologised for the clear errors made and vowed to ‘discover the cash’ to repair it

The weird markings started as complicated wavy traces earlier than they had been coated with giant yellow sections as an alternative 

The wiggly traces have been slammed by locals after they appeared on the seafront in Clevedon, Somerset

It comes as an impartial assessment has beneficial the return of angled parking areas to the seafront and the removing of the two-way cycle lane.

It additionally mentioned a pedestrian crossing must be created in addition to a devoted drop-off and pick-up level for coaches.

Even the RAC chimed in and described it as one of many ‘most weird new highway schemes’ it had ever seen.

Councillor Bell has mentioned any selections about what occurs subsequent shall be made in public however conceded that the precise factor to do is to make adjustments: ‘We’re underneath immense monetary strain, as are all councils.

‘I might not want to be on this place if we might have prevented it.

The highway markings (pictured) had been dubbed the ‘driving lane for drink drivers’

‘But the precise factor to do is to attempt to ship some adjustments and ship a scheme that works for the folks of Clevedon and that is what we’ll attempt to do.

‘We’ll should attempt to discover the cash – it isn’t going to be straightforward however we are going to strive to try this.’

Clevedon residents had been fast to take to social media to criticize the council.

One resident wrote: ‘Those councillors that rubber stamped this and fully ignored the residents must be named and made accountable, loopy…’

Another mentioned: ‘After the terrible mess, please convey it again to the unique parking’.

Another particular person added: ‘If that they had had a public session earlier than spending enormous sums on implementing this, the session prices would most likely have saved some huge cash.’