Drivers have had their say on a new £650k turbo roundabout as work comes to an end.

Some claim the redesign of the Running Horse Roundabout in Maidstone is a waste of money, while others believe it has reduced queues significantly.

Kent County Council (KCC) decided to change it to a “turbo roundabout” in a bid to reduce the number of road accidents and congestion.

Cabinet member for highways and transport, Cllr Neil Baker (Con) said: “In the past three years 13 personal injury crashes have been reported to us, making this junction a key priority for work to reduce injuries on the public highway. The figure for the past five years is 29.”

Originating from the Netherlands, the innovative layout prevents drivers from switching lanes by using colour-coded segments and cat's eyes.

Motorists now have to pick their chosen exit before entering and follow the correct route.

It is the first in the county and has cost around £650,000 to install.

Click here to read KentOnline’s full explainer on the “turbo roundabout”.

Work started in April and was expected to take around three weeks to complete.

KCC confirmed the project was finished on Friday, May 3 – three nights ahead of schedule.

An additional sign was designed, ordered and installed last Wednesday (May 15).

It is understood that it will benefit drivers approaching from Blue Bell Hill.

Since its completion, KentOnline spoke to several drivers who had used the old version of the roundabout and asked for their thoughts on the new layout.

Steph Cesari, an Aylesford delivery driver, said: “People are still treating it like it was before.

"I have seen many who are in the wrong lanes and cut across, which is a massive problem.

“I think those who want to go via the M20 have priority. It does make sense, as more traffic tends to go that way.

“However, I’d say half of drivers aren’t adhering to the new rules.”

The 36-year-old has been distributing groceries for the last two and a half years.

She says she could use the roundabout every day but deliberately chooses to avoid it.

“I don’t think people will follow it properly,” she added. “It is a waste of money.

“Ultimately drivers don’t know where they are going once they are on the roundabout.

“There have already been a lot of near-misses as people aren’t paying attention.”

However, nearby resident Peter Hoffman says the new layout has helped.

He lives just one mile away from the roundabout in Springfield Park.

“I've used it for the last 20 years and seen two or three different layouts,” the 38-year-old said.

“They’ve moved road markings and tried to change the lanes – none of them have ever been enormously successful.

“It's definitely better now, especially during rush hour. I'm sitting at the roundabout for a lot shorter periods of time."

Instead of having to wait 30 minutes in queues, Peter claims that has been cut in half.

“If you're able to reduce people's journey times by any amount, then it's probably worth the investment,” he added.

“I think the way they've laid it out now is effectively how a roundabout is supposed to be used under normal circumstances.

“So if people are struggling with that, maybe it's time to go back and retake the test.”

Julie Balchin, a driving instructor from Burham, agrees.

“The difficulty is the people who have used the old version are struggling,” she explained. “They still want to drift and change lanes.

“For my students who haven’t been on it before, it is much easier. You can’t please everyone."

The 65-year-old uses the roundabout five to seven times each week, as it is part of two test routes.

She believes the new signage is very clear, but the speed at which drivers pass through is still too fast.

Julie said: “The amount of money spent was a bit of a shock, but that is what it costs nowadays to lay a new road.

“I don’t think it will reduce collisions – there needs to be a speed restriction on it."

She added: “It is a great idea and I hope they do the same to the Coldharbour Roundabout.

“I have driven abroad and seen it before, they work really well once people get used to it.

“It is just that we have never seen one like it in Kent.”

What do you think about the new layout? Leave a comment below.