Residents of Banwell, a North Somerset village, continue to face significant traffic delays even after the company responsible for temporary traffic lights claimed no faults had occurred. Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS), managing the lights on the A371 (Knightcott Road), insists their equipment operates correctly, despite complaints that rain causes the signals to remain red for extended periods.
Locals report that the lights frequently get out of sync, allowing only a handful of vehicles through before switching to red again. Chantelle Fox described a recent incident where drivers were stuck waiting for over an hour due to the prolonged red light phase. She challenged ITS’s explanation that weather conditions were responsible, noting that rain is a common occurrence in England and should not affect the lights' functionality.
Steve Voller, Banwell’s parish council chair, suggested that the problem is worsened by frustrated drivers running red lights, which in turn disrupts the traffic sensors. Signage now urges motorists to report any failures by calling ITS directly. Meanwhile, ITS attributes the delays to increased traffic from other roadworks, emphasizing that their lights have never failed and are continuously monitored for faults.
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The temporary traffic controls are in place due to the construction of a £105 million bypass designed to alleviate the village’s notorious congestion. With narrow roads and two busy A-roads funneling traffic through Banwell, delays have been a persistent issue dating back centuries. Although the bypass was first proposed nearly a century ago, construction only recently began and is set to conclude next year.
While some residents like Ms. Fox accept temporary disruptions as a necessary inconvenience, many feel the current delays exceed reasonable expectations. Mr. Voller remains optimistic, viewing the current inconvenience as short-term pain for long-term improvement.
Galliford Try, the contractors overseeing the bypass build, acknowledged previous issues with the traffic lights and confirmed new equipment has been installed to enhance traffic flow. They emphasized the lights are vital for worker safety during construction and highlighted the bypass’s future benefits, including better traffic capacity and connectivity to nearby recreational paths.
ITS confirmed that their engineers recently adjusted the light timings to improve traffic movement and noted that no new complaints have been received since these changes were implemented.