TRAFFIC problems in Stratton have left one resident afraid for her own safety and that of her neighbours.

Christine Williams, who has lived in Ermin Street for a year, has called on the council to take action against wayward drivers before a serious incident occurs.

She said: “My husband and I are both very frightened about our welfare and safety, the safety of our neighbours and the children who go to the nearby primary school.

“We live next to the Crown Pub and, due to the way the traffic behaves on this stretch of road, we have now got to the point where whenever we hear a car or bus pass we take a deep breath waiting for the crunch or thud.

“Since moving into our house, our car, which we park on the road outside our house, has been hit three times by other drivers.

“The last two incidents have occurred within a month and the drivers both left the scene without giving their details to us.”

She also raised concerns about the “many thoughtless drivers”.

Following an incident in February, Christine discovered that the cameras that monitor the bus lane in Ermin Street are not switched on and they haven’t been since their installation a few years ago.

Now she has called on the council to tackle the traffic problems by switching on the cameras.

She said: “Considering that we see cars go through this entrance to our road on a daily basis it is very galling to hear that the cameras which are there to record these instances, uphold the law and safety in our streets are not working.

“Surely, with the cuts Swindon Council says it has to make due to a loss in revenue it is ridiculous not to use the equipment installed in order to catch and fine those drivers who flout the laws.

“Those drivers who use the bus lane as a rat run to avoid the traffic lights on Swindon Road are more likely to speed down Ermin Street and hit a child coming out of school.

“Do we have to wait for a death outside the school to have these cameras switched on?”

In response, a Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “The bus lane enforcement cameras cannot be switched on until the legal formalities have been completed.

“And adequate signage needs to be place on the approaches to the bus gate to advise motorists of the restrictions that are in place.

“A procurement process to install the signs will be undertaken shortly.

“And the signs will be installed in the next couple of months, at which point the cameras there will then be switched on.

“Although the cameras are not yet active, motorists should not be using the bus gate in Ermin Street.

“And we would like to remind drivers of the need to observe the restrictions that are in place.”