LARGS locals have reacted with anger after Flatt Road was dug to install new speed bumps – just three weeks after being resurfaced for the first time in years.

The major route through Largs was given a fresh layer of tarmac back in January following the completion of the nearby new housing development.

However, last week residents found the road being dug up once again as new concrete speed bumps were installed by council workers.

Paul McKay, who lives on Phillips Avenue, says he refused to use the road before it was resurfaced due to the potholes and previous speed bumps - and says he is bemused at them being reinstalled.

He explained: “Myself and my wife wouldn't drive on Flatt Road before it was fixed because we had to replace the suspension in her car three times.

“We were delighted when it was finally resurfaced in January and we had about three weeks of lovely smooth drivin.

“We went to go down it last week and discovered that they had dug more holes in the fresh tarmac and were laying these horrible concrete speed bumps.

“I just don’t understand why they needed to introduce them again, especially after just using up valuable resources to completely re-lay the road.”

Paul believes that the former bumps on the road caused many of the well documented problems, alongside the potholes.

He said: “The speed bumps are a huge problem for drivers, and are only exacerbated by the potholes which are sure to appear.

“If you slow down for them and accelerate away you are harming the environment, if you think your car can take them and don’t slow then your suspension eventually collapses, and if you straddle them your tires wear away on the inside which can lead to a high speed blowout.”

“I don’t understand why they haven’t gone down the route of speed controlled traffic lights like they have in Fairlie.

“If there is a problem with speeding on the road, they have chosen the most expensive and worst solution to the issue.”

Independent councillor Ian Murdoch says speeding motorists meant the traffic calming measures had to return.

He explained: “I raised this with a senior manager at the council’s roads department and he informed me that this is how speed bumps are installed.

“They have to be installed after the surface has been completed as it can’t be done at the same time.

“I have been informed that the speed bumps were always returning as the new surface will potentially see increased speeds."