Drivers left baffled by new 'wiggly line' road marking on Clevedon seafront
Locals have hit out at ‘wiggly lines’ which have been painted on a road in Clevedon as part of a new layout.
North Somerset Council started the work along The Beach last autumn, with many residents and businesses objecting to the changes.
The work has now been largely completed, but the appearance of wavy lines has left people baffled.
Some have taken to social media to question their purpose, with some claiming the changes have made Clevedon seafront look like Balamory, the children's TV programme.
Others have described the ‘confusing’ road markings as an accident waiting to happen.
Posting online, user @Mega_Ste said: “The road layout is a hot mess, the cycle lane is next to the pavement, then there is parking, then on other side of the road is normal one way traffic.”
Another user, Pete Brooks, added: “I kid you not, the squiggly lines are opposite driveways to allow vehicles to swerve to get round and into their drives without crossing the white line.”
Others described the new lines as being like a “Balamory from hell".
North Somerset Council said the lines are there to make the road feel narrower and slow down traffic. It is also hoped the wiggly lines will help reduce unwanted parking.
A council spokesperson said: "The lines are a design feature to reduce the potential abuse of parking at these locations and help make the road feel narrower, which is a technique used to slow traffic speeds.
"In this case, the area is adjacent to the sailing club entrance so needs to be kept clear."A wavy line provides uncertainty to the driver and is proven to help reduce unwanted parking."
The road scheme has seen a 400-metre segregated cycle lane installed along the seafront and the parking reconfigured. The road has also been made one way.
The aim is to remove cyclists along the promenade while providing pedestrian priority crossing points over the cycle route.
Campaigners, locals and businesses say the scheme is unnecessary and a waste of money, making the seafront more dangerous and has had a detrimental impact on trade.
Their concerns have been supported in a report by the highways consultant who has highlighted a number of safety concerns about the scheme.Concerns have also been raised about the lack of lighting in certain areas of the scheme.
The full report detailing all the safety issues has now been sent to Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, by North Somerset MP Liam Fox.
Dr Fox said: “I have visited the site on numerous occasions, accompanied by residents and traders, whose initial fears about the impact of the scheme have been more than borne out. "We are keen to know if there are any mechanisms available to bring the scheme to a halt and whether there are any precedents of which your department is aware, where similar schemes have been stopped or compulsorily altered because of safety concerns.“A vast amount of public money is being spent to solve a problem which does not actually exist. We do not have major road safety issues on Clevedon seafront at present, despite it being a Victorian amenity. “The project is not popular, not safe, not affordable, not properly consulted upon and not necessary. It damages historic amenity, will disadvantage visitors, especially the elderly, will disrupt local trade and impede access to local residents."