A petition calling for a controversial bus-lane scheme to be scrapped is back online after being temporarily suspended.

The petition on the KCC website was set up by Sally Atkinson, one of many Tunbridge Wells residents angered by the bus-only lane in Mount Pleasant Road outside the Civic Centre.

Athough the restriction runs for a distance of only 50m or so, it means that some local residents have to make a diversion of several kilometres to reach their homes.

Mrs Attkinson of Dudley Road was delighted when the petition garned 120 signatres in just 24 hours – if it reaches 1,000 KCC is obliged to hold a public debate on the issue.

But shortly afterwards, the petition was suspended when it was discovered that several Tunbridge Wells borough councillors had apparently “signed” it.

Cllr Nicholas Pope (Tunbridge Wells Alliance), and Cllrs Justine Rutland and Martin Brice (both Lib Dem) said their names had been fraudulenty added.

The petition was only off-line for about three hours while their names were removed, but Mrs Atkiinson said it has not been working properly since.

She said: “I’ve had scores of people contact me to tell me they can’t log onto it, or that they seem to have signed but don’t receive the confirmation email.”

KCC said it was aware of the issues and was working to resolve them.

But Mrs Atkinson said: “It’s just not good enough. Their software is clearly not up to scratch. It makes you wonder how many other KCC petitons have under-recorded the number of signatures.”

Mrs Atkinson has resorted to old-fashioned methods and is out today in Monson Road dropping off paper petition forms to local businesses so that their customers can sign.

You can sign the online petition here (if you are lucky).

The number of signatures has now risen to above 270.

Paper petitions are available in the following businesses: Wolfit, Cook, Imago, She Matters, The Framing Centre, Hidden Hearing, Edney and Edney Opticians and the Mobility Furniture Company.

The online petition which runs until August 2 also calls for all fines issued so far to be rescinded.

Many of those fined claim that the signage has been inadequate.

Among them is 69-year-old Robin Thomas from Bearsted, near Maidstone.

He said: “I have just been fined for apparently driving down a bus lane in Mount Pleasant Road.

“Neither my wife nor I were aware of this until we received the fine – and my wife rarely misses a thing!

“The photos sent by the council do not show any road markings indicating that the road is a restricted bus lane.

“I have never received a penalty notice before. I guess some will say I have been lucky, but in this case I think the crime has been committed not by me, but by the council for not making it clear.

“I don't often travel to Tunbridge Wells, but have driven down this road before without incident.”

Last month three people were injured after a car drove into Blacks outdoor store in Monson Road.

An eyewitness told KentOnline that she believed the driver could have been attempting to turn around to avoid the new traffic restrictions.