Virtual speed humps introduced as a traffic calming measure on a busy school-run road have been deemed a “waste of paint”.

Arriva bus driver Katie Bell drives along Stanhope Road in Swanscombe more than 50 times a day and claims the 2D road cushions – which act like an optical illusion – do little to slow down traffic.

“It is an absolute waste of white paint,” she said. “People speed along there as they know there aren’t bumps. I’ve heard drivers beep others because they are driving too slowly over them.

“I can’t quite believe they came up with the idea in the first place.”

Traffic has increased over the last two months after the landslide which closed Galley Hill Road between Swanscombe High Street and Ebbsfleet Football Club’s ground.

With the amount of congestion she sees every day, Katie believes there may be better ways to control the flow, such as erecting more signs warning of schools.

Both Ebbsfleet Academy and Manor Community Primary school are accessed via the road.

She added: “That road gets crazy busy even at a standstill during school drop-off/pick-ups so it would make more sense to have more warning signs that there’s a school and residential area to calm down the traffic a tad, but the 2D bumps are pointless.”

Swanscombe resident Joanne Hales says people cross where there is one remaining hump and thinks there needs to be a proper zebra crossing there instead.

“The thing that concerns me is that many pedestrians assume the large hump is a crossing,” she said.

“They just step out without looking and expecting the cars to stop. One day it’s going to cause an almighty accident.

“If it is a crossing then it should be signed so with black and white lines and orange flashing lights like you would see on a crossing. That way both parties know what to expect.”

Although she likes the virtual bumps.

“They’re good,” she said. “I still find myself braking in preparing for the jolt even though the other bumps are gone. The trauma is still there.”

Residents were excited to hear about the plans to introduce the 2D humps after complaining at the ferocity of the old concrete bumps.

Joanne recalled: “The bumps were dreadful. They were too high and did lots of damage to lots of people’s cars over the years.”

Cllr Peter Harman (Swanscombe & Greenhithe Residents’ Association), who represents the area on Kent County Council (KCC), said at the time he had been relaying residents’ concerns to County Hall for the past two years as the 10cm high speed bumps were the massive height permissible and residents were not happy.

He was initially delighted at the proposed traffic calming measure. However, he now believes they are not enough.

Virtual speed humps were first introduced by Transport for London in 2014 and are described as creating an “optical illusion, appearing raised or 2D to drivers as they approach, giving the impression that speed humps lie ahead.”

It is part of a strategy to control speeds without the use of bumps, humps and lumps as they claim the physical interventions have a number of drawbacks, including an increase in traffic noise and pollution as drivers constantly change their speed.

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: “Clearly, painting mock speed humps is significantly cheaper for any cash-strapped council than making physical changes to the road, but the risk is that drivers intent on speeding quickly realise they’re not real and continue to break the speed limit.

“Having said that, with scant budget available to them, arguably some intervention by a council like this is better than none at all – so long as the markings are kept painted.”

Similar fake humps where installed in roads in Ashford in 2019.

At the time, a KCC spokesman said: “We anticipate more psychological traffic-calming measures being implemented at sites across the county which aim to encourage a reduction in vehicle speed through changing the driver’s perception of the road environment.”

KCC was approached for comment.