MOTORISTS pulled up for driving on Dunfermline High Street when they shouldn’t have lashed out and “abused” Fife Council staff.

They’ve turned their anger on local authority workers who have pointed out that all vehicles are prohibited between noon and 3pm, Monday to Saturday.

And after finding an extra £202,000 for transport improvements, that’s one of the reasons the council will put £2,000 towards a new barrier system.

Convener of the City of Dunfermline area committee, Helen Law, said: “Some drivers have been completely ignoring the fact the High Street is supposed to be pedestrians only between 12 and 3pm.

“Council staff who have pointed that out to people driving on at those times are just getting abused so we need something to help them out.

“Abroad you see things like planters or wheels pushed across so a number of options are being considered and we’ll need someone there to put up and take down the barrier.

“We had thought that automated barriers would be the way to go but, from speaking to other councils, they’re not value for money as they keep breaking down and cost a lot more in the long run.

“We decided not to go down that route and opt for something mobile that could be put there, at the top of Douglas Street, to restrict access.”

Other new projects will see £6,000 spent on a bus shelter for Carnegie Drive, outside the Tesco store, and £12,000 on ‘improved’ litter bins in the town centre.

And £90,000 – made up of £30,000 from the council, £40,000 from a Scottish Government fund and £20,000 from an Abellio ScotRail transport integration pot – will go on new signs in the centre of Dunfermline.

It’s supported by Dementia Fife and Age Friendly Dunfermline with the goal of developing a “sympathetic, age-friendly approach to wayfinding”.

A council report added: “It aims to provide clearly legible pedestrian routes throughout the city centre, connecting the bus and railway stations and local car parks to the various places of interest in Dunfermline.”

The bulk of the money, £152,000, will be spent on upgrading the footpaths and pavements at Kirkgate and St Catherine’s Wynd.

The additional projects were backed at last week’s area committee and Cllr Law said: “The state of our roads, pavements and general city centre are important.

“We want people to take pride in Dunfermline.

“No-one wants to visit somewhere that’s unkempt, whether it be locals or visitors, so I’m delighted to hear about all the improvement works and look forward to seeing the finished results.”

The extra money has been found after an underspend on a £1.15m list of transport improvement projects in Dunfermline.

Approved in 2017, the money was made up of £651,000 of section 75 contributions from housing developers and £500,000 from the council’s capital investment fund.

It went on improvements to Leys Park Road car park, a long-term replacement for the ‘metal staircase’ between Queen Anne Street and Bruce Street, street lighting and drainage improvements on Carnegie Drive, better footpaths and pedestrian access in Abbot Street, Maygate, Monastery Street, New Row, Walmer Drive, Carnegie Drive, Pilmuir Street and East Port, an upgrade to traffic signals at Inglis Street, planting and repainting of street furniture, and paving upgrades on approaches to the Kingsgate Centre and the bus station.

The only outstanding project from the original list is the shared use cycle path on Nethertown Broad Street, which will cost £60,000 and is set to go ahead.