Drivers caught using a Lochaber school bus route as a rat run will be hit with on-the-spot penalties from police.
Residents in Fort William claim it is only a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured near a new school campus.
Pensioner Ena MacLeod was almost knocked down twice by cars using the access road from Caol Shopping Centre car park to nearby Erracht Drive.
Now local police are stepping up their patrols in the area and are warning motorists to stop using the route as a short cut or face prosecution.
Mrs MacLeod, 83, cycles to the shopping centre almost every day and was nearly thrown from her bike on two occasions by cars using the access road.
The pensioner, who was left shocked and shaken after the incidents, said: “Someone is going to get badly injured or even killed there if nothing is done.
“The first time it happened, a car came shooting along the route from the shopping centre car park and I had to push my bike on to the grass to avoid it. That was bad enough, but the next time it happened the driver almost hit the back wheel of my bike as I was passing. There were two children in the car so he was obviously taking them to school.
“I got an awful fright and had palpitations afterwards.”
Mrs MacLeod, who has lived in Caol for 49 years, added: “I’ll be 84 next month and love my bike. I use it every day. But something has to be done as there have been complaints about the number of cars using the route. It’s like a race track at night.”
The access road for school buses, which goes through the green area beside the shopping centre car park and leads on to Erracht Drive, was built last July to take pupils to the new St Columba’s Primary at Caol.
A police spokesman said: “We had a vehicle along at the car park yesterday and will monitor the situation with the access road. It was introduced to allow bus movement and improve road safety for pedestrians including schoolchildren.
“There have been complaints that cars are using it as a short cut, but the route has legal restrictions in both directions in the form of road signs and should not be used by cars or motor bikes.
“Any unauthorised drivers using it are liable to prosecution in the form of a fixed penalty notice.”
A Highland Council spokesman added: “We take road safety around all our schools very seriously and any road traffic offences, including speeding and breaking of road traffic regulation orders restricting access should be reported to the Police.”
