Ryde Council chased for compensation over damage to vehicles from notorious Putney speed bump

A Sydney council has been left red faced over a speed bump labelled a ‘stuff up’ that motorists say has damaged their cars and impacted the mayor’s own vehicle.

The Putney speed bump has allegedly caused thousands of dollars in damage.

A Sydney council is being threatened with legal action over a notorious speed bump that motorists claim has resulted in thousands of dollars in damage to their cars with the council’s mayor revealing his own mayoral vehicle had been impacted.

Ryde Council has been issued a compensation claim over a speed bump on Charles St in Putney that residents say was built too high and caused cars to “scrape” over the concrete when trying to safely cross it at low speeds.

The speed bump was funded by Ryde Council in a move to improve road safety on the busy thoroughfare.

But just weeks after the installation, the council had to rip out the traffic measure following public backlash that had some locals describing it as a traffic safety hazard.

The council is now being chased for compensation from damage allegedly caused by the speed bump including from one driver who says his rare BMW M4 model – of which there are only 25 of in Australia – sustained $20,000 in damage.

The speed bump was built on Charles St.

Motorists claim the speed bumps had caused damage to cars.

The driver, who asked not be named due to potential implications on his claim, said he was driving when the car scraped the speed hump resulting in damage to the vehicle’s undercarriage and rims.

The council’s Mayor Trenton Brown – speaking at a public council meeting – revealed his own mayoral car had scraped over the speed bump when driving over it last year.

Recalling the incident, Mr Brown said he “certainly knew I was alive”.

Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown

The height of the speed bump has had further implications for local businesses including Lady Anne Funerals with Karen Laing, the director of the funeral home, saying she was unable to drive the company’s hearse over the speed bump without scraping the underneath of the vehicle.

Independent councillor Roy Maggio said he had received complaints from dozens more motorists and has labelled the installation a “stuff up”.

“It was built too high, and the consultation with residents just wasn’t there,” he said.

“The whole exercise has been a waste of ratepayer money because the council had to spend money installing the speed bump, then taking it out and redesigning it.

A photo of the speed bump site after it was removed by Ryde Council.

“There should have been comprehensive consultation in the first place but instead the council’s been caught with its pants down.”

According to the compensation claim lodged with the council, the speed hump was built at an alleged length of 1000mm – half the 2000mm requirement under Australian traffic standards – and that the height of the speed bump allegedly increased the risk of a car bottoming out on the speed hump.

Ryde councillor Roy Maggio said he had received multiple complaints from motorists over the speed hump.

Ryde Council has refuted the claims but in a statement said “it is not appropriate” to make any further comment on the matter as it “was the subject to an insurance claim”.

The council has also not publicly revealed how much it spent installing and replacing the speed bump which was approved for construction following an independent road safety audit.

On social media, dozens of motorists have vented their frustration over the speed bump with one driver saying it was built “ridiculously high” while another describing it as like travelling on a “mini rollercoaster”.

“I couldn’t even get my Hyundai over it. Ridiculous,” another driver vented.