Concerns have been raised that coaches and other large vehicles have been using a street in Largs which has specific weight restrictions because of a railway bridge.
Community councillor Jim Perman raised the matter at a meeting at Largs Library last week, and said he had repeatedly raised the issue at meetings in the past about the problem. He stated that he had seen coaches, which he believed were far in excess of the required tonnage for the bridge, using the street in order to avoid town centre congestion.
Fire engines and other overweight emergency vehicles can gain access from either side of the bridge. The emergency services are notified of weight restricted bridges in order to allow them to plan access when required.
A council spokesperson said: “The bridge at May Street, Largs, is owned and maintained by Network Rail. However, if we are aware of any abuse of the weight restriction at the bridge, we will notify Network Rail in order to allow them the opportunity to inspect the structure. In addition, we will also report the matter to Police Scotland who are responsible for the enforcement of traffic regulations.”
We contacted Network Rail, but had received no comment as we went to press.