A STRATTON man has come out in support of a neighbour who called on the council to address traffic problems in Ermin Street earlier this week.

Phil Coates, who has lived in Stratton for the past 17 years, has backed Christine Williams’s demand that the council takes action against wayward drivers before a serious incident occurs.

Christine said that she and her husband have been left frightened for their welfare due to the way drivers behave on one particular stretch of Ermin Street.

Following an incident in February, Christine discovered that the cameras that monitor the bus lane are not switched on and they haven’t been since their installation in 2011.

Now Phil has backed Christine’s plea for the council to switch on the cameras.

Phil said: “Far too many cars use this stretch of road as a rat run and it’s very dangerous. My car has been hit three times by passing vehicles.

“This needs to be in the spotlight because there are very real risks to life, limb and property that need to be addressed.

“Statistically, the road is safe because very few accidents are reported to the police. People don’t report shunts, dents and near misses to the police and even if they did it would generate scant response.”

But despite supporting Christine’s plea to turn on the cameras, Phil has gone further and suggested that that stretch of Ermin Street ought to be completely shut off from traffic.

He said: “The ANPR camera is not in itself the answer to the issues that persist. The road, in spite of the re-design, is very narrow and in places only just wide enough for a bus to navigate. Sooner or later a child or resident will be seriously hurt or worse.

“The council should shut the road off, full stop.

“This is a dangerous piece of road that is in essence a quiet residential area used as an illegal shortcut because the council needlessly insist that its use as a bus gate is critical to the operation of public transport - which anyonebody can see it clearly is not.”

In response, a Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “At the request of the local residents, the pros and cons of closing this part of Ermin Street were carefully examined a few years ago.

“After extensive consultation with all stakeholders the council decided to maintain access for buses.

“There has been no significant change in circumstances since that review and there are no plans to revisit the issue currently.

“We remain convinced that the introduction of bus lane camera enforcement will have a significant impact on reducing unauthorised use of the bus gate.

“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.”