Banner
any day today rss X

News and Comment August 2010

Index: 2009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024

12 August - Traffic lights at night

Today’s newspapers report that several councils in London are thinking of switching off some traffic lights at night to reduce delays and save electricity. I suspect that may be a good idea.

Almost the only time I use my car is for a fortnightly late night trip to north London. I used to return via Blackwall tunnel and with a clear road in the early hours of the morning and observing all the speed limits the journey time was entirely dependent on one’s luck with the traffic lights. None of them were in Bexley but on a bad night they could add eight minutes to the journey.

After Boris Johnson reneged on his electoral promise to open Blackwall Tunnel to two way working and then compounded his stupidity by closing it southbound for six nights a week I’ve had to return home via the bridge at Dartford which is a longer but faster route. At 1 a.m. there are just two sets of lights which appear to be useless, both are in Bexley. The lights on the roundabout at the junction of Thames Road, Northend Road and Perry Street (Slade Green) are a minor inconvenience. I’ve been stopped there on about half my dozen journeys over the last six months but only once to give way to another vehicle. All the other stops were to satisfy the unintelligent controlling computer program. However the junction of Queen’s Road and James Watt Way in Erith is something else. Just once the lights went green as soon as I stopped there but on the other eleven occasions I’ve been stuck on red for several minutes and never once has anyone emerged from or go into the shopping area served by James Watt Way. What else would you expect at one o’clock in the morning? Those lights really are a waste of electricity. I imagine that as soon as councillor Craske realises that switching off a few lights will help refill his expenses trough all sorts of lights will be put out.

 

Return to the top of this page
Bonkers is a cookie free zone. Not a single one