BUSES thundering over speed bumps in a quiet Park South street are causing residents’ homes to shake.

Frederick and Sheila Davies of Cranmore Avenue claim that the number 17 service from Penhill driving at speed down the road is causing regular vibrations throughout their house from 5.30am to 11.20pm.

The elderly couple blame the bump nearest their home for the problem.

Sheila said: “I’ve lived here for 50 years and I’d never had an experience like this before the bus routes changed in May.

“I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in months.

“It’s very stressful, I wake up and I don’t know what’s happening, the bed and the wardrobe are shaking, it’s like a mini-earthquake.

“It really unnerves you, I have a heart condition and this isn’t helping.

“I’ve had three hairline cracks in my living room which I’ve had to pay to re-decorate.

“I don’t want to stay in my house during the day because I have to get away from it.

“This has really got to me, it’s beyond a joke and it’s not normal.

“We don’t want the buses to be stopped around here, we depend on them, I just want that one speed bump taken away for my peace of mind.”

Frederick, 74, said: “There are buses every 10 minutes and it’s not so bad when they have to stop at the bus stop down the road.

“When they’re just passing through, they come flying down here even though t’s 20mph on this street.

“Even when we’re sat in the back patio, we can feel the vibrations.”

Georgina Bodden, 78, lives adjacent to the bumps with her poorly husband Alexander, 82.

She said: “I’m sat in the living room and it shakes me and the chair, I can’t go to bed before 11.40pm because I’ll get woken up.

“I’ve got a pacemaker and the shaking makes it go strange, it’s not right.”

“If it’s making the house shake this much, what’s it doing to the foundations?”

Tony Robson is also concerned about the buses and bumps.

He said: “It’’s a nightmare, my kids are playing outside and the speed some of these buses go is worrying, I find myself holding my breath when they go past.

“I think they pick up speed early in the morning or late at night when there’s no-one around.”

Alex Chutter, Thamesdown Transport general manager, said: “Safety is our top priority and this is reflected within the high quality training we provide for our drivers.

“They’re aware of their responsibilities when operating our buses within built-up areas so I’m concerned by these reports.

“We will be conducting our own observations in the area to ensure, if there is a problem, it will be resolved asap.”

A spokesperson for Swindon Borough Council said: “The system of traffic ‘cushions’ has been in place along the full length of Cranmore Avenue for many years in order to address historic issues of speeding and to reduce accidents.

“However, there has been an increase in bus service frequency on the Avenue this year and an officer from the Council’s Traffic Management team met with Mr and Mrs Davies on site last week to understand their concerns and to check on the condition of the cushions.

“We’ve agreed to carry out a speed survey in the area and analyse the speed of the buses.

“The width of the cushions has been designed to allow large vehicles to straddle them, we’re looking at the line taken by buses on the approach to the cushions to see why these issues are arising.

“Overall, the scheme itself has proved its value in terms of calming traffic speeds in the area.”