AS a resident of Oxford for 63 years and a rider and driver for 56 years, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council Highways have made more traffic bungles than one can remember. The latest now in the news is Green Road Roundabout. Do they not realise that probably half or more vehicles wishing to go right at the roundabout are driven by complete strangers, heading for the crematorium ? In the Highway Code, the position in order to turn right on a roundabout is the outside lane, hence the confusion. The signs for the roundabout should start at the Thornhill traffic lights on an overhead gantry, clearly marking the manoeuvre and repeated nearer the roundabout.
The second was in the news recently: junction 10 of the M40. It should have been done right in the first place in 1991, with the A43 traffic going over the top on an elevated section to join the M40 South, not (as was done in 2001) crossing traffic going north on a roundabout to join the A43 and heading for the M1. One hesitates to think what this junction has already cost in money, in 2001, the latest proposal, but worst of all in transport costs – cars and lorries constantly queueing most days. We then have the A34 junctions from the Milton interchange to the Botley interchange: why are they all on blind bends? Last, but not least, the A40 Witney/Oxford road. Councillor Mr Hudspeth says we do not need it to be made a dual carriageway. Has he seen the queues every morning and night ? They are proposing even more development for the area. I often wonder if the people who design these junctions have ever driven or even ridden a bicycle.
DAVID WINTERSGILL
Rowel Drive
Begbroke
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