Residents have got the hump over a “bus only trap” which is failing to stop their housing estate from being used as a “rat-run”.

Those living at the new Croudace development of 500 homes at Hermitage Park were promised traffic would not be allowed to run through the Howard Drive estate in Allington.

A bus gate was installed between the new estate and Howard Drive which is supposed to only be used by buses.

It has been fitted with a “sump buster” – a raised central concrete platform intended to allow high-wheeled buses to pass over unhindered but scar the underside of any unsuspecting vehicle attempting to circumnavigate the rules.

Unfortunately, it seems many cars may have increased their height off the ground since the device was fitted as it seems no longer to be proving effective.

One Allington Way resident told KentOnline: “While walking the dog I saw three cars – not 4x4s or SUVs – pass over unhindered.

“The estate is being used as a rat-run.”

Chris Passmore (Lib Dem) is the county councillor for the area. He said: “Unfortunately the sump-buster does not seem to be working.”

He has written to Neil Baker, the Kent County Council (KCC) cabinet member for highways and transport, asking for additional measures to be installed.

Cllr Passmore added: “As a short-term measure, some additional signage in the vicinity of the bus gate might help.

“Transiting this bus gate in any vehicle other than an authorised bus or emergency vehicle is in contravention of the traffic orders and could result in the driver being prosecuted and receiving penalty points.

“In the longer term, I suspect we are going to need an ANPR camera at the site to catch offenders.”

“We made a promise to residents and we must keep it.”

KCC has recently been granted new powers from the government to enforce moving traffic offences – such as drivers entering bus gates or bus lanes illegally.

The first cameras are likely to be installed in Maidstone High Street – which is restricted to buses and blue-badge holders – soon.

The problem in Howard Drive only occurs during the day. The last Nu-Venture bus driver locks the gate at night and it is unlocked by the first driver in the morning.

However, the fear is that as more and more drivers learn that they can cross the sumpbuster unharmed, more will use it as a shortcut to escape the heavily congested Hermitage Lane.

The bus gate was installed so that a new bus service, subsidised by Section 106 money put forward by Croudace, could run between Maidstone and Maidstone Hosptal, via Hermitage Park.

The good news is bus service number 60, is up and running.

The route is from King Street to Maidstone West Station, up London Road, stopping at Somerfield Hospital, onto Poplar Grove, Riverhead Close, and Howard Drive, through the bus gate, into Hermitage Park, for Chapelfield Way and Chestnut Road and on to Maidstone Hospital.

Norman Kemp is the owner of the Nu-Venture bus company.

He said: “I am very pleased indeed to report that the day-to-day operation of Bus 60 at Hermitage Park has got off to a good start with no issues reported by our small team of regular drivers on the service.”