News of the latest Swindon visitors to fall foul of the Designer Outlet bus lane and vow to never return sparked a debate among Adver readers.
Samantha Bradley and her daughter went along the public transport shortcut that connects Penzance Drive to the B4289. The fines they received cancelled out any of the bargains she found at the MacArthurGlen retail village.
That spot saw 14,541 penalty charge notices being issued in one year - 40 a day. Are the road markings and signs inadequate, or are inattentive drivers to blame?
Mitchell Dunlop advised: “May be worth giving in your license as it is signposted.”
Adrian Winters said: “The road surface is a different colour and it’s clearly signposted! Quite frankly don't want you driving round Swindon, you are dangerous!”
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Tara Goodwin said: “I laugh at every person who drive through here, all the signs and they can’t spot them.”
Amy Solomon added: “I flash my lights and beep at people if I see them trying to turn but they just carry on and go down there anyway and then I just laugh and say to myself ‘Wait to see them in the Adver’.”
Stacey Wilson-Sly said: “They must be blind. If the signs double in size, they still won't see them.
Anthony O’Neill disagreed: “The road is stupid, there’s no reason why you can’t use it to access the car park for the outlet.
“Instead you have to go all the way down the dual carriageway to access it.”
Pete Winyard supported this: “Correct. It is the height of stupidity, adding to journey times, congestion and pollution. They are not interested in green solutions at all, or they would dump this bus gate.”
Mia Wheeler sympathised: “I quite understand why a stranger to a town can fall into a deliberate council funding trap/bus gate.
“The council should be begging more people to shop in Swindon.”
Lesley Pepper said: “Wasn't this one but I got caught in Swindon centre and will never shop there again, it’s very badly laid out for visitors - and I'd spent years driving in London, Bristol and Bath so am used to looking for these signs.”
Alan Wilson stated: “The road sign right next to the traffic light is a No Left Turn. That's all anybody needs to know.”
Peter Alexander said: “I'd challenge on signs and lines being insufficiently clear. They should be abundantly clear - I don't think they necessarily are.
“Take photos of the route and go to the tribunal, there's nothing to lose really. So SBC, are your signs clear, lines clear and bright and unbroken and conform to law? Is the traffic regulation order in place and legal, I wonder?”
Buster Frederick pointed out: “I swear you have to be able to read signs to be able to pass a test to start driving, I'm not sure, but in all honesty if you're able to get to Swindon then you're able to read the signs they have everywhere else in the UK.”
Domenico Rosa saw both sides of the argument: “While clearly marked as a bus lane and a no left turn, it is ridiculous how far away you have to go as a car to get to that particular car park!
“There is literally another bigger one on the next right turn.
Ann Young said: “Don’t think I will bother visiting the designer outlet. Sounds too complicated to park.”
Lee Meredith said: “The road is even a different colour, there is no excuse for driving through there.”
Luke Edwards said: “To access that particular outlet car park you have to drive round the back of Sainsbury’s, it’s really complicated for someone totally new to Swindon.”
Tony Huang asked: “Why use that carpark anyway when the North Carpark is just around the corner? Leave the West carpark free for the locals who know!”
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