TRANSPORT bosses are looking at a possible solution to the agony caused to some York motorists by traffic calming measures – “intelligent” speed humps.

City of York Council is considering such cushions – which can rise when vehicles are detected approaching at above the speed limit – as part of a review of the way it tackles speeding on the city’s roads. The Press reported last week how two women with health problems were suffering severe difficulties because of speed humps.

One said they were like “torture devices” for her, while another said they meant she could not leave her home by car and had to walk beyond the hump zone before being getting in the car.

York Outer MP Julian Sturdy has revealed that he has written to the council on behalf of constituents from Heslington, who had contacted him to express grave concerns over the introduction of vertical traffic-calming measures on University Road.

He asked the authority to consider alternative measures, such as “intelligent” speed humps.

He told The Press: “Many, including myself, have questioned whether some of the recent policies, including the Lendal Bridge fiasco and roll out of 20mph limits, are indicative of an anti-car agenda within the council and I make no exception to this latest scheme.”

He said it was clear that some of the most vulnerable people in society were being penalised by the humps, and he hoped the council would be more considerate before “diving into” any further such schemes in future.

Sarah Tanburn, Interim Director of City and Environmental Services, said the authority had commissioned a review into the “choice and methods for managing speed”. She said: “We will consider all options as well as equalities implications including the impact on certain groups, particularly children, of unregulated speed and associated accidents.

“Intelligent speed humps will be considered in the review and we will consider the cost of introducing these new interventions verses the cost of maintaining them and how effective they are proven to be against other speed management methods.”

*For an example of how intelligent speed humps can work, go to etsc.eu/intelligent-speed-bumps-installed-on-the-oresund-bridge/