By Claire Warrender

CONTROVERSIAL traffic-calming measures along Fife’s coastal route are to be replaced because they are not slowing vehicles down enough.

Fife Council introduced 20mph zones in towns and villages as part of its £1.8 million Safer Routes to School strategy.

However, measures in Coaltown of Wemyss and East Wemyss proved particularly unpopular as, instead of speed humps, a series of nibs were built along the main road to force drivers to give way to traffic coming towards them.

The speed limit on the road, part of the Fife tourist route, was reduced from 30mph to 20mph at the same time and some Courier readers branded the entire scheme “a complete nightmare” and claimed it caused frustration.

The council defended its stance at the time, saying the speed of vehicles on the narrow village roads had reduced considerably as a result, making them safer for locals.

But transport manager Ian Smith has now told councillors the nibs in Coaltown of Wemyss and East Wemyss are to be replaced with speed cushions to slow traffic down more, while also making it flow more freely.

His comments follow serious congestion in the villages three weeks ago after an accident on the A915 Standing Stane Road between Leven and Kirkcaldy forced all traffic to be diverted via the coastal route.

The nibs contributed to the jams by creating queues.

Mr Smith said, in the main, the measures in Wemyss have been effective and the number of vehicles travelling at 25mph as opposed to 30mph has increased five-fold.

He added however, that 44% of drivers in Coaltown of Wemyss still travel at more than 25mph.

“It bears no comparison to the numbers speeding before the measures were introduced, but in all zones we had 48% of drivers doing over 25mph before the measures and it’s now down to 19%,” said Mr Smith.

“Because of that, we have decided to upgrade the measures in Coaltown of Wemyss.”

The proposals include extending the 20mph zone out of the village to the junction of the West Wemyss road, and also partly down the Checkbar Road to take in the new housing development.

That part will be done within six months, although the removal of the nibs will be a longer-term development and will happen gradually.

“The current proposal is that the nibs we have in both the Wemyss villages are due to be removed and replaced with speed cushions,” said Mr Smith.

“We hope the speed cushions will help to slow the traffic down further but also we won’t get the stop/go we get with the nibs.

“Traffic flow should be free-er but slower.”