Switch off the lights (From Gazette Series)

Switch off the lights

PRESSURE is mounting for "disastrous" new traffic signals at M5 junction at Falfield to be switched off once and for all.

This week, as schools and colleges returned after the Easter break, predictions of even longer queues at the "improved" junction with the B4509 proved depressingly accurate.

Scores of motorists complained of being held up for 15 minutes - and in some cases even longer - during the morning rush.

"It can't go on like this," said Berkeley resident Christine Spencer who has faced serious delays during the morning commute to her office in Aztec West.

"People in our office who use that junction are just about at the end of their tether. It was bad enough when the lights were first switched on during the half term break. Now the schools and colleges are back and it's a complete nightmare.

"I have emailed the Highways Agency a few times but they don't seem to be bothered.

"This scheme was supposed to improve the traffic flow but it has had competely the opposite effect. It has been a total waste of money and the sooner a concerted campaign is started to get the lights switched off, the better.

"I have sene the accident statistic for this junction and no way do they justify what has been done."

This week there were signs that officials are at last beginning to take the problem seriously. Wednesday saw a top level inter-agency fact-finding meeting taking place at the junction involving staff from the Highways Agency, South Gloucetershire Council, contractors and police.

Highways Agency spokesman Nadia Nuaimi said: "We are very aware that there are problems with queuing that need to be addressed. Heads are being put together to see if anything can be done to improve the situation.

"However, this is junction where there is a lot of traffic going into a confined space and it's unrealistic to talk of ending peak hour delays.

"The people who are unhappy are the main road users who used to get through quite quickly because they didn't have to stop. But this was at the expense of drivers waiting to come off the motorway who had to wait for a chance to pull out.

"We always knew there was a going to be a bedding down period and monitoring still taking place to see if the delays are over and above what was anticipated."

Dedicated "scrap the lights" protestor Stephen Coombs, from Woodford said:

"They should now admit their error and turn the lights off permanently.

"On Monday I left for work about 15 minutes earlier than I used to beforethe lights were operating. On a "normal" day I would have cleared the junction and been on the M5 south within a couple of minutes. But I was delayed by 11 minutes and my wife, travelling later, was delayed by ten minutes.

"Drivers shouldn't have to tolerate this. I've seen people jumping the lights and taking chances on amber out of sheer frustration.

"Before the lights there was steady flow of traffic," he said. "Everyone was happy - or at least a large majority were a lot happier than they are now."