A SOLUTION could be found to prevent residents of a retirement park from crossing a busy road to catch a Haddington-bound bus – without dropping the road’s speed limit.

Concerns were raised by residents earlier this year about vehicles breaking the 60 miles per hour limit on the A199 outside Monks’ Muir Park, west of East Linton.

However, a speed check on the road outside the park, which is home to about 80 people, failed to find any drivers breaking the law.

Police Constable Gavin Ross told a meeting of Dunbar and East Linton’s Community and Police Partnership (CAPP) that “the solution” was simply to stop people crossing the road in the first place.

He added: “Is signage the answer? No. Is 50 miles per hour [speed limit] the answer? No.

“The issue is people having to cross the road, whether there are signs or speeding vehicles.

“There are 101 ideas – you could have an island, a bridge or buses only picking up on the park side of the road or they could come into the park and turn.” Another idea was for rumble strips to be put on the road, similar to those in place on the A1 as drivers approach the Thistly Cross and Spott Roundabouts.

PC Ross felt the changes to the A1 had proven a success and encouraged drivers to slow down as they approached the junctions.

He said: “Vehicles were on the [centre of the] roundabout on at least a weekly basis [before the strips were laid]. The road now has rumble strips and the lighting up signs and that is now a rare occurrence.” Michael Everson and Norman Wilkin, both from Monks’ Muir Park, attended the meeting.

They told members that speeding was a genuine issue outside the park, particularly during times when drivers were heading to and from work.

Mr Everson said: “We’ve had several near misses with elderly people crossing the road to get the Haddington bus.” PC Ross highlighted that drivers observing the speed limit might still be travelling too quickly when it came to the safety of those residents crossing the road.

Suggestions of traffic islands, reducing the speed limit and introducing signs have all been put forward but the officer said if something could be done to ensure the residents did not have to cross the road it would eliminate the problem.

Residents of the park, which is about two and a half miles from East Linton, are due to meet ward councillor Michael Veitch, the local authority’s spokesman for roads and transport.

He was unable to attend the meeting but previously asked East Lothian Council to improve the lines on the road and also to look at signs warning drivers of elderly people crossing the road.