Highland Council has spent £400 on paying workmen to paint double yellow lines on a street in a south Skye village – before removing them weeks later after complaints from locals.
The cost of removing the botched job in Kyleakin cost the local authority an additional £250.
One local resident, who wished not to be named, said: “The lines were awful.
“It’s no wonder they have had to come back and remove them. Nobody could understand how they were so poorly done.”
Highland Council said the operation was part of a regional roll-out of £20,000 worth of parking enforcement measures in 19 townships across Highland.
A spokeswoman said: “The lining crew finally got to Kyleakin late in 2019 but equipment failures led to sub-standard lining being painted.”
She added that, due to local feedback, the decision was taken to remove the work.
Local councillor John Finlayson, who lives in Kyleakin, said: “It is disappointing the lining was not of a high quality due to equipment malfunctions and, after I received a number of legitimate complaints, the right thing was to remove the poor quality lines.”
He added that the correct procedures were followed to introduce the lines, including consulting the community council, to address concerns about “the unsafe parking of vehicles, trailers boats and even seating benches on the only pavement on the road”.
Mr Finlayson added this had caused issues for the elderly and mothers with prams.
However, Harry Fone of the Taxpayers Alliance responded: “Council bungles, like this double yellow lines fiasco, will drive local taxpayers around the bend.
“Though the amounts of money involved are small, every penny of wasteful spending is cash which could be going to cutting sky-high council tax rates.”
Further community consultation in Kyleakin on new traffic calming measures is scheduled to take place in the spring.
