Yet another car ended up on the Luton and Dunstable Guided Busway on Tuesday.
It is not known how the motorist managed to drive on to the busway at 12noon but he is by no means the first person to make the mistake.
A Luton Borough Council spokesperson said there were two to three vehicles a week getting on to the busway before a matrix warning sign was installed in January.
The spokesperson said: “This was mainly at the New Bedford Road entrance to the guideway. However, since the sign’s installation there have only been two instances.”
The sign, which is a temporary measure to help drivers who “are still not paying proper attention when driving” so they can “get used to the idea that a guideway is clearly not somewhere you should try to drive your car” costs taxpayers £600 a week to rent.
The spokesperson said: “There is simply no excuse for attempting to drive along the busway and anyone who is looking where they are going would see that there is no road to drive on. Most of the recent problems have occurred because people come along the ‘bus-only’ road in front of the station and straight ahead behind the Galaxy before carrying straight on to the guideway.
“The bollards near the station, once working, should resolve this problem.”
The latest motorist incident closed the busway for around two hours.
The £90million busway was opened in September last year and since then there have been numerous issues with motorists inadvertently ending up on the busway after becoming lost or using their sat navs. Two people suffered minor injuries when a bus hit a fence on part of the Dunstable section of the guided busway on February 19 and in November a motorist crashed into the fence from Hatters Way.
Anyone who ignores the warning signs faces prosecution, endoresements to their licence, a fine and an order for compensation for any damage.
Car traps on the busway can also cause considerable damage to vehicles - one driver who accidentally drove on the busway told the Herald & Post it was going to cost him £1000 to replace tyres and wheel rings.
Your reaction on Twitter:
Chris Hubbard @hubbardcj “At what point do you think ‘hmmm...I’m sure the normal road doesn’t have big chunks of concrete either side of my wheels’?!
Richard Armstrong @habbyhatter “what is wrong with people??”
Steven Manfredi @sman3d “I think the council underestimated the sheer stupidity of the general public
Stu @HitmanHatter_35 “Whopping great big 10ft illuminated signs saying buses only”
@HungryHatter “It does seem to happen an awful lot though, you have to admit. Do drivers think they can use it as a shortcut?
Chris Lennon @christofflennon “might see if I can set up a new tyre business, either end of the busway. Would rake it in!”