Never-ending traffic jams are driving Rodbourne residents to despair.

Congestion around the area of the Designer Outlet Village and Steam Museum, particularly in December, but year round means neighbours say they are trapped in their own streets and some are selling up and moving out.

And some, including opposition were councillors think the cabinet members in charge of Highways at Swindon Borough Council should step down.

Angela Read said: “I have lived here for 7and a half years and almost every day I have to fight to get in and out of Rodbourne to get to work or travel about. Between Monday and Friday from 5pm, I cannot get into Hughes Street from Rodbourne Road due to the number of selfish drivers blocking the entrance. Then when it comes to Christmas this whole area comes to a stand-still due to selfish drivers and the bad planning of the council.

“I choose to drive a motorbike due to these issues and I have trouble getting around everyone.”

This frustration is echoed by other residents.

Rebecca Burden said: “Each weekend we have to battle the traffic to get back into our road. We either have to join the queue for the outlet or risk taking the lane to town and hoping someone will let us in to Barnum Court.

Karen Dodson added: “It’s a nightmare and it is frustrating. It takes an hour just to get from the Oasis to my house in Manton street. It’s a total joke.”

Even some non-drivers are getting sick of the issue. Sian Jones said: “I don’t even drive and it’s getting beyond a joke. I live on Rodbourne Road and from 10am there is traffic out the front of my house, this needs to get sorted.”

One of the issues causing residents such distress is not just that they get caught in the traffic jams, but that they cannot get out of their own streets that come off Kemble Drive and Rodbourne Road, meaning many feel trapped. or they have to make inconvenient alternative arrangements.

Ann Scott: “We live in Churchward and at the weekends often have to work round the traffic.

“If we leave the house in the morning it is with the knowledge that we will not be able to get home without queuing for up to an hour unless we come home early evening. When we moved to the area 14 years ago it was not this bad.”

Others have to do something similar. Andrea See said: “We’ve lived in Swindon since 2011. We’ve had a car for just over a year, and have to time all our comings and goings on these shopping or event weekends to be out of the house early and back late, which can be difficult with two young children.” Heather Carolan added: “We have to plan our weekends so we either don’t use the car or are out the house and back before 11am or after 5pm.”

Labour ward councillor Jim Robbins says heads should roll: “The traffic issues that Rodbourne residents have been facing are getting worse, and the meagre efforts of the council have had no impact so far. Residents are demanding real action to deal with the situation, and the first thing they are demanding is a change in the cabinet member for Transport and the Environment.

“The current post holder has achieved nothing for the residents, and it is high time that someone who is capable of making a positive difference took on role. We are in the middle of another hugely busy Christmas period where residents are being forced to stay in their homes or face huge queues on the road, while the administration shows no sign of being able to get to grips with the problem. The final straw for many residents was the gridlock caused by the Black Friday weekend and Christmas event at STEAM where there appeared to be no coordinated attempt by the council to ease the congestion. Swindon deserves better than this, and the residents of Rodbourne certainly deserve a Cabinet Member capable of taking the issue seriously and who has a plan to ease the traffic issues.

Residents want to see access to Barnum Close kept clear for residents, proper enforcement to keep the through route on Kemble Drive flowing, traffic controls for traffic entering Bruce St Bridges from Rodbourne Road, and traffic controls for traffic entering Bridgemead from Paddington Drive. These would have an immediate and significant impact and are all simple to deliver if there is the will to do so.”