The Road Works in Paignton

Major road works in Paignton have been the one of the two main topics of conversation over the last week. "How late are you?" has been the main question drivers have been asked. The road should be open again by Friday but there will still be delays. Some of the delays we have been suffering are not caused by the road works themselves as the first photo shows. The sign directs traffic to turn right to avoid delays but I have to go straight on, but the sign is stopping me. I just got out of the bus and dragged the sign out of the way.

The second problem that the council seen unable to understand is that the traffic lights at Tweenaway Cross, which have a right turn filter, have different timings over weekends. Less traffic gets to turn right. Only 3 or 4 cars were getting through, during the week this number is as high as 20. This mean that traffic queing to turn right was blocking the traffic that wanted to go straight on. Result, half hour delays instead of 10 mins. There was a story going a round last week the the timings on the lights were going to be altered; I didn't believe it then and I still don't. They will probably come down on Thursday and change them.

The second photo shows traffic that has tried to take a short cut to avoid waiting on the ring road. During the week no one bothers but to day the ring road was so bad drivers were trying anything to find a quicker way throught the diversion. And from taking this photo to getting onto the ring road took 15 mins. Not realy fair on the people who live in Roselands who have to put up with 8 buses an hour running past their front door.

It would appear that no one in the Town Hall knew that the road was going to close until it did. Their compleate lack of action regarding the problems the lights at Tweenaway Cross would cause show that they believe that putting a few signs up is the end of their responsibility. About the only thing they did get right was doing the road now and not in the middle of summer.