PEDESTRIAN safety fears caused by motorists avoiding red lights at the Troon Co-op by driving through the car park were raised at a special summit last week.

Councillor Craig MacKay and Troon community councillors Dawn Barr and Liz McNish met with Co-op’s Area Manager, Michael McGuiness, to discuss the concerns about the exit onto Dundonald Road.

Speaking to the Troon Times, Cllr MacKay said: “I think [the meeting] was fairly constructive. Mr McGuiness agreed to look into a number of measures – there were certainly concerns about car park and the safety of the pedestrians.

“It was helpful to be able to meet with Co-op’s Area Manager on site and the look at the measures.

“He agreed to look into painting a pedestrian route on the surface at the safest crossing point and that will hopefully help the cars slow down at that point and to make improvements to the two-way points through the car park which is causing much of the concern.

“A lot of people cut through the car park when the lights are red at the junction instead of waiting. It is a problem because it is a tight car park with children and adults crossing there – it is not ideal.”

Ponding issues with a blocked drain and autumn leaves that are still not cleared were also discussed.

Cllr Mackay added: “There is an unfortunate lack of certainty of the ownership of the boundary’s and whose responsible for the adjacent footpath.

"I am trying to clarify who can unblock the drain. It needs cleaned up because there are certainly people that have slipped on the leaves - if we get the footpath sorted then fewer people will walk across the car park.”

Cllr MacKay saw the meeting as a “positive step forward” and that customers will “benefit” for any improvements brought to the car park.

A Co-op spokesperson said: “We are very happy to discuss the car parking facility – which is shared between the Co-op and three other retailers – with the local council.

“A number of options were discussed, and we shall be following these up in due course.”

‘It’s like Wacky Races’

Ayr Advertiser:

BIKEPOST owners, Mark and Colin Fidler branded the car park “carnage” after witnessing numerous drivers using it as a short cut.

They said: “We have seen them drive along and they go straight down. At the garden there is a lower curb and some of [the drivers] just driver right through.

“What happens is when the queues get past the entrance, they swerve in – but they’re not just slow, they are going fast – they are racing.

“There’s one guy that does it all the time.

“We had signs either side and it is the shop owners that pay for the car park so if any of the signs get damaged, it’s the shop owners that have to pay for it.

“One of them was cut away last year because of the people cutting across and hitting it with their wing mirrors.

“It’s carnage – it’s like wacky races.”