Clifton Down shopping centre hit the headlines when Top Gear’s ex-Stig was pictured outside the mall in Whiteladies Road.

Ben Collins, who is best known as the white-suited former Stig on the BBC TV show motoring programme, is one of many road users complaining of problems since the pavements were widened at a pedestrian crossing.

Bristol-based Ben, pictured right, appeared on the front page of the Bristol Post protesting about the work which is part of the £78m Greater Bristol Bus Network project to improve 10 bus routes across Greater Bristol.

The Stig said: “The changes are hideous. The pavement was wide enough before. Now what you’ve got is a bottleneck which is causing huge traffic jams – it’s a choke point and it’s horrendous. Only a non-motorist could possibly have designed it. It really is moronic."

Greater Bristol Bus Network’s transport director Peter Mann said: “The aim is to improve bus reliability while reducing overall levels of traffic congestion. Many of the new measures not only benefit buses but also motorists, due to the new traffic signal technology that is designed to improve traffic flow.”

He said the pedestrian crossing had been made smaller to reduce the time traffic has to wait for people to cross.

Mark Wilmut, who manages the Clifton Colour photo shop in Clifton Down shopping centre, said: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The road didn’t need anything doing to it – what a waste of taxpayers’ money.”