RESIDENTS of streets in Smithills where 20 mile per hour speed limits were put in place say the scheme is ineffective and a waste of money.

A new 20mph zone was introduced in March in the area from Smithills School to Moss Bank Park, including Smithills Croft Road, Moss Lane and Barrow Bridge.

But four months on, residents said it has made no difference to the speed of cars travelling outside their homes.

Resident Janet Pool said: “It’s not made any difference along Smithills Croft Road — I think if anything, they go faster.

“Drivers whizz along here like crazy. There’s a sign at the top of the road and one painted on the road, but people ignore it.

“If you travel at 20mph, people just start beeping behind you.

“It’s a dangerous road that is often used as a cut through. With the school traffic, it’s chaos.”

Rowenna Lobo said she would be happy to see the 20mph zone scrapped.

The Smithills Croft Road resident added: “It isn’t working at all. In the evenings we can hear noise of the cars coming down very fast.

“It’s used as a cut through. There are no speed bumps, which would stop people driving fast.”

But Smithills councillor Roger Hayes, who called for the 20mph zone after receiving complaints from residents about speeding cars, says that the £12,000 scheme is working.

He said: “Without enforcement 20mph zones will never lead to anybody driving at 20mph, but what I believe is that it does lead to a general decrease in speed.

“For example, in a 20mph if you slow down a bit, the cars behind you slow down a bit. It only takes one driver and the whole traffic does slow.

“My strong impression is that the average speed in the zones has gone down since it was introduced.

“It’s an ambition of Bolton Council to extend it and also to get the police to do more enforcement, as both of these things are needed.”