Birmingham City Council has been ridiculed by residents after installing speed bumps to slow drivers - right next to the potholes they had not fixed. The council has also been fined £500,000 for breaking its own Clean Air Zone policy.
Birmingham Council Slammed for Installing Speed Bumps Next to Unfixed Potholes, Fines Itself £500,000 for Breaking Clean Air Zone Policy . A bungling council in Birmingham has been ridiculed by residents after installing speed bumps to slow drivers - right next to the potholes they had not fixed.
Locals on Booths Lane in Great Barr say the new traffic calming measures have sparked a furious row, as it also emerged today that Birmingham City Council paid itself nearly £500,000 in fines because its own vehicles broke its Clean Air Zone policy. Residents and traders are baffled that the newly-installed speed bumps don't even stretch the full length of the half-a-mile long road, while crumbling tarmac continues to blight the street.
Tony Farmer, who runs Tony Scissors Hair Studio and is the oldest trader on the road, is among those unimpressed. Counting one stretch alone, he spotted four potholes on the carriageway - alongside the brand new bumps. The business owner added that they were not even effective, saying: 'I haven't seen them slow down.
'I think it's a waste of money, and we pay for it, we're the taxpayer. Birmingham City Council has come under fire after installing speed bumps next to potholes they hadn't fixed. Business owner Tony Farmer criticised the use of taxpayer money, saying: 'We're paying for this and it isn't doing the job' 'The council is supposed to have no money. We're paying for this and it isn't doing the job.
' Mr Farmer said he would have preferred better coverage, with bumps 'fully across the road and not so wide of space in between'. The issue ignited a row on social media, with locals divided over the changes. Annabel Wall Smith wrote: 'Wish they'd fix the potholes before putting in speed bumps.
' Nigel Jarvis added: 'It's a joke, repair the road first then put the speed bumps in, no wonder the city is in trouble. ' Birmingham City Council installed the speed bumps following consultations last year. Campaigners Alex Hall and Charlotte Whitehouse have been calling for action to tackle speeding on Booths Lane and nearby Sandy Lane.
In a Facebook post in March, Mr Hall told residents: 'We're out on Booths Lane today, one of the things that we've been campaigning for quite a long time is to get speed bumps on Booths Lane and also on Sandy Lane. Signs in Birmingham informing road users of the clean air zone initiative 'This is a big issue around Booths Farm, because of the speeding cars.
' Birmingham City Council defended the speed bumps, saying the work was not part of pothole repairs which falls under 'highway maintenance'. A council spokesperson said: 'We assess all highway network defects using a defined risk matrix to ensure a consistent and proportionate response to repairs.
'Like many highway authorities, we have experienced a significant increase in both reactive repairs and planned maintenance activity across the network since the start of 2026. 'The newly installed traffic calming features referenced are part of a separate scheme currently being developed and delivered outside of routine highway maintenance activities. 'Our teams are working at pace to prioritise and address defects based on safety risk and network condition, alongside an extensive programme of ongoing works scheduled across Birmingham.
' They added: 'We will continue to monitor the condition of the road, taking appropriate action where issues meet our intervention criteria. ' It comes after it also emerged today that Birmingham City Council has paid itself almost half a million pounds in Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charges and fines, after its own vehicles repeatedly breached the city's emissions rules.
The Labour-run authority racked up more than £472,000 in charges and penalties after non-compliant council vehicles entered Birmingham's CAZ since the scheme was introduced in 2021. Data shows the council fleet accumulated 3,262 daily charges and fines over the period. The revelation comes despite Birmingham City Council aggressively enforcing the controversial scheme against residents and businesses, with tens of thousands of motorists fined every month and enforcement action escalating sharply following the authority's effective bankruptcy declaration in 2023
Birmingham City Council Speed Bumps Potholes Clean Air Zone Policy Taxpayer Money
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