SOUTHSIDE streets are so badly damaged they are wrecking local buses, angry residents have said.

People have demanded improvements be made to Mansewood and Hillpark, after seeing buses suffer so much damage that the operator reportedly described it as “the worst road surface they have ever experienced.”

The local authority has been working to filter out “through traffic” in the Manswood and Hillpark areas while helping to facilitate safer routes to school.

The issue was raised at the council's environment and liveable neighbourhoods committee, where council officers admitted they were “surprised” to record 6500 vehicles passing through the area in the space of 12 hours.

Councillor Stephen Curran said: “One of the concerns that people in the community have about these proposals is that although they might agree with the aspiration around the liveable neighbourhoods and the focus – there’s a reality check in the way they view the carriageways and footways in their own communities and the condition of those at present.

“The community council that covers Mansewood and Hillpark heard from PVT Transfer who now run the 29 bus service which is mentioned in the report – and they have only run it since Christmas – but they have already had three punctures, two broken springs and ticket machines have bounced and smashed out the cradle in the bus.

“The provider has basically said it is the worst road surface they have ever experienced as a bus provider and they do deliver some other routes around the city so I just wonder about the confidence in engaging with the wider community when there is an immediate concern about what you would see as basic council provision not able to be met.

“We are talking about something that is encouraging active travel and a safer use of those streets.”

A council officer agreed to raise these concerns with their colleagues in the roads department.

They said: “In terms of the Liveable Neighbourhoods programme, the concerns that we were looking to address was the sheer volume of through traffic there is within that neighbourhood.

“Our road colleagues were completely surprised that in 12 hours there were 6500 vehicles travelling through that locality.

"We identified that more than half of the vehicles were travelling through the neighbourhood in less than four minutes and 20 seconds.”