Furious residents are calling on council bosses to scrap controversial roadworks that are set to shut four town centre streets over the next five months.
More than 800 people have signed a petition describing plans for a bus contraflow system in Pencester Road, Dover, as “madness”.
Kent County Council (KCC) wants to send buses on the town’s new Fastrack line along the designated route in the town centre.
The authority announced on Friday how the £34m scheme will begin operating on Sunday, November 17 with diesel buses until a fleet of five electric vehicles is ready.
But frustrated residents say the new road system in Pencester Road is “completely needless”.
KCC will start construction of the £900,000 contraflow on Monday (October 14), with Pencester Road, Worthington Street and parts of Biggin Street and Maison Dieu Road expected to be closed in phases.
Work is estimated to carry on for the next four to five months, with construction due to finish by spring next year.
Once vegetation works are carried out this week, the first phase of construction will begin on Monday on the eastern side of the Pencester Road/Maison Dieu Road junction.
But petition organiser Lesley Neil, who lives in Dover, says the scheme will “cut off the main artery through the town”.
“I was furious when I saw the plans,” she said.
“This will inconvenience so many people, including drivers, bus users, those who work and study at the college (EKC Dover).
“It’s insane because there are already other roads these Fastrack buses can use.”
When the contraflow is complete, buses and bicycles will be able to travel in Pencester Road in both directions for the first time as the road is currently only used by traffic going south towards Biggin Street.
The work is being done by the triggering of a traffic regulation order following a public consultation.
Some parking bays will be permanently lost and others temporarily, including ones for those with disabilities.
But Ms Neil says the contraflow would not be needed at all if the buses simply went in both directions along the two-way Ladywell, which runs parallel.
Fellow protester Gordon Newton said he signed the petition “from a road safety point of view”.
“I think Pencester Road is probably the most heavily used pedestrian-wise of all the streets in Dover,” Mr Newton said.
“It’s got lots of elderly people crossing from the buses to the chemist or the dentist and lots of teenagers and children coming back from the pizza parlour or sweetshop to the park.
“The last thing we want is extra traffic and I think this scheme spells danger.”
Sue Birchenough, who runs The Mangle Laundrette in Worthington Street, fears the scheme will have a “great impact” on her business.
“We do pickups and deliveries so we need access to that road seven days a week and we’re not going to get it,” she said.
Ward town councillor Beccy Sawbridge shared a similar view, saying: “I’m really hopeful that we will get a good service of electric buses at some time.
“But this route will affect the shops and services that we have down here.
“It is beyond reprehensible by those people that should be looking after us.”
Once up and running, the much-delayed Fastrack scheme will see buses connect Whitfield with the town centre and Dover Priory railway station.
Councillors in Dover had been anxious as the launch of the whole Fastrack scheme, which includes a new bridge over the A2, has been pushed back numerous times.
The service was first advertised to begin last autumn and the start date was changed to early 2024 and then this July.
After the second hold-up, KCC explained in April that there had been delays in the supply chain and difficulties with seasonal conditions.
The authority says new roads built for the project – Red Kite Road linking Honeywood Parkway at Whitfield Tesco roundabout to the new Richmond Park development, and Farmstead Way linking Honeywood Parkway at the B&Q roundabout with Dover Road – opened to pedestrians and cyclists yesterday (Tuesday).
A spokesman said: “The Pencester Road scheme was approved by the cabinet member [Cllr Neil Baker] in June following a full public consultation last year.
“The scheme will enhance the Dover Fastrack service, which has been designed to mitigate the traffic impacts and to support the planned housing developments in Whitfield and at the former Connaught Barracks site.
“The closures detailed in the notice will not take place at the same time.
“KCC has worked with the contractor to look at phasing the works to try and minimise the impact of closures. Any road closures will be notified at least two weeks in advance.”
The Fastrack scheme is described as the county’s first zero-emission bus route, but bosses confirmed last week how “ultra-low emission” diesel buses will be “temporarily used” until the fleet of electric vehicles is ready.
Cllr Jamie Pout (Lab), the deputy leader of Dover District Council, said: “We welcome the investment in public transport in Dover, taking cars off the road and encouraging our residents to catch a bus.
“The eventual introduction of electric buses will nicely complete this project by providing zero emission transport: a real alternative to the car for local journeys.”
