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Roundabout headaches
Roundabout headaches
SIR - Re B. J. Allott's letter ‘ No Logic to these lane markings' (Mailbox, March 26). What about the roundabouts at:
1. Whittington Moor?
2. West Bars, exiting Boythorpe Road for the town centre via the Post Office sorting depot? One would not necessarily take the signed route. And where is the logic, except for traffic exiting Foljame Road, with every other exit under traffic control lights and with pedestrian controlled crossings.
3. Exiting Markham Road roundabout intending to travel past Hollis Lane top. Joining the LEFT only lane takes the route onto Beetwell Street, Joining the AHEAD lane, traffic must immediately change lanes - not something recognised as a safe driving manoeuvre.
4. Entering Markham Road from Lordsmill Street travelling south. Where's the logic for allowing traffic also entering Markham Road from the opposite direction, travelling northerly at the same time? An accident in waiting? What's wrong with enforcing the ‘give-way' to traffic on your offside rule?
5. Alma complex for traffic travelling south from the town centre wishing to visit the new DIY store.
And what about the logic of allowing traffic to travel in both directions under taffic light control on Saltergate, where right-turners from the town have to, at best, blindly guess when they can safely make their move from a halt into West Street? Another accident in waiting. As with all but one filter light of I'm aware of in the borough, the one here is nothing more than a street ornament.
I wonder if B. J. Allott travels around the outskirts of Chesterfield town centre after dark on roads that have neither adequate street lighting, cats-eyes or visible white lining? Turning right under these road conditions into a near invisible side road, dimly lit, is quite interesting - more so in poor weather conditions.
The great majority of motorists find enormous motorway intersections relatively problem free: it's only when the council spills plastic paint in the middle of the road and calls that a roundabout does the most head scratching and unnecessary delays for others occur.
May I submit an idea to alleviate the financial problems that exist for the repair of pot-holes and financing road gritting. It works very well in other countries that adopt it. Introduce an annual tax on all motorised road users. And call it ‘Road Fund or Road Tax'. Issue a disc (call it the Road Fund Licence to those who have paid it), enforcing a current disc to be displayed on the vehicle. Simple! So where's the problem?
J. TAYLOR,
The Bungalows, Sudhall Close,
Dunston, Chesterfield.
SIR - I sympathise with B. J. Allott re the stupid layout at the Tesco roundabout.
There have been many changes in road layouts around Chesterfield in the past two years and I have yet to find one which has made it easier and safer to negotiate than before it was altered.
Whoever designs these layouts in the highways department certainly lacks any logic or commonsense and probably never drives along these roads themselves.
It's high time the highways department employed people like Mr Allott.
W. COX,
Greenways, Chesterfield.
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Weather for Chesterfield
Thursday 24 May 2012
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