New speed measures on Fife road stopped by single objector

The plan for speed cushions has been rejected.

Councillors on the Glenrothes area committee decided against setting aside the objection to additional traffic calming measures on Ballingall Drive, which already has a 30mph limit and six existing sets of speed cushions along its length.

Four new speed cushions had been proposed at a cost of £10,000 following reports of vehicles “excessively accelerating and decelerating” between the existing sets of speed cushions.

However, the objector – who has not been named – felt the current measures were enough to encourage motorists to comply with the 30mph limit and would be a waste of money,

Councillors largely agreed, particularly after hearing that speed surveys done in 2020 suggested the average speed both eastbound and westbound was just 28mph.

Councillor Altany Craik admitted the addition of more speed cushions felt like “overkill”.

“There’s lots and lots and lots of speed cushions on the road, and if traffic is not calmed when it goes over one of them then you wonder when it would be,” he commented.

“It seems too much too often for something that doesn’t seem to be a problem.”

Councillor Jan Wincott concurred, adding: “I cycled down that road last week and negotiating these humps is really difficult.

“To have nine or 10 humps on that stretch of road, it would be the most humped road in Glenrothes.

Committee members therefore refused to back a recommendation which would allow the speed cushions to go ahead.