Locals continue to slam 'Britain's worst cycle lane' - saying it's still dangerous - despite the council claiming the problem has been fixed.
Officials from Bath and North East Somerset Council said it undertook works overnight earlier in April to make the 'optical illusion' lane "clearer to pedestrians and prevent further trips and falls''. The infamous pathway in Keynsham near Bristol has seen over 100 people injured after tripping over the kerb.
But despite a local authority saying the work carried out on the cycle lane last week would end the issue locals claim it is still a hazard. At around 7pm on Thursday, council contractors repainted a solid white line making it a dashed white line - in the hope it would be clearer for pedestrians.
Locals believe the changes have made no difference to the trip risk. Local resident Nigel Hammond, 67, said: ''It’s a disaster. The amount of people falling over. I've had a friend injured.
''He was walking backwards and fell over the kerb, slicing his arm with his keys. The black lines ain't going to stop [people tripping], it's just not going to happen.
''They have fixed nothing so I don’t know why they claim it will stop the injuries to people. They had one where a pensioner fell over, she broke both her eye sockets. She was elderly, and I really mean elderly, but the council said she can't make a claim.''
Alan Flyng, 72, added: ''They've put these black markings on the white? I never noticed. I get caught out with this, you’ve got two levels. You go down the first kerb and think you’re there, then there’s another one. I've nearly tripped over twice.
''All they've done is they hide half the white line there, so you've completely gone onto the road then, as opposed to the white one that showed the edge. But you can't tell them anything because they won't do anything about it anyway, you get ignored.
''People have been talking about this for ages, but nothing has changed. They came out and put the black line that doesn't help; I could have done that.
''It always costs the taxpayer money, they don't worry about what costs the taxpayer money, as long as they get one less letter in or one less person will fall over. I've never seen a bicycle actually in this lane. It's a one way bicycle lane, so you'd have to go on the road to go the other way. I've never seen a bicycle come along here.''
Another local resident, Esme Brooks, 76, said: ''I don't think the council painting the black lines will fix the problem. It probably helps in the summer, like now while it's light and people are alert but when it's cold and wet you've got umbrellas, I don't think it will fix the problem.
''You see people, they walk along, move out into the cycle lane to pass people on the path and you can quite easily put your ankle over. I think, from the beginning, this has been a waste of time and money.
''It’s one way but cyclists and electric wheelchairs come the wrong way up it. It defeats the object of having it – they need to pedestrianize the area.'' I’ve not tripped myself but I have seen people fall – including once who needed an ambulance. Two of my friends have tripped too.
''I think we desperately need better bus services, the money could have been spent on that. There’s loads of houses being built without any infrastructure in place. They should invest in that, not making this worse and worse.''
Pedestrians walking on Keynsham High Street have repeatedly missed and tripped on a 'hidden' kerb - which they say looked like a flat line as it is painted white. Since it was installed by Bath and North East Somerset Council in March 2022, more than 100 people have been injured on it.
Overnight on Thursday April 11, the council began repainting the solid white line as a broken line in the hope it will stop the confusion and the injuries. Work was carried out overnight to avoid disruption to businesses and vehicles on the road. Paul Roper, the council's cabinet member for economic and cultural sustainable development, said on Wednesday: "This mitigation should make the change in levels clearer to pedestrians and prevent further trips and falls.'"