OVER the last few months I have read various letters and listened to residents who live in my ward, I have even listened to other councillors when they talk about the situation we have in our town regarding traffic jams and the multitude of traffic lights we now have around the place.
It is clear to me that we as a council can no longer ignore the real problems we have on our roads or the concerns of our residents; it has been suggested by some councillors that we wait until the entire Scarborough Integrated Transport Scheme is up
and running to see how it works out and, yes, I have said that too. However, more lights are going up and traffic queues are getting longer with the activation of each new set of lights. OK, the lights may not be able to be synchronised properly until all of them are operating, but in all honesty I cannot see how once all the new lights are in operation how things will improve.
Living in Eastfield, my obvious route into town is along Seamer Road. When the traffic lights were installed at B&Q I had to add 10/15 minutes to my journey time at peak times. Now the lights at the Queen Margarets Road junction are in operation I have had to add 25 minutes to my journey time. I dread to think how much time I and other Eastfield residents will have to allow once the Park & Ride site is up and running!
Even if we Eastfield folk try to get into town via Filey Road we will have to run the gauntlet of lights up there and resist the temptation of nipping in on the bus lane.
Cllr Popple has a valid point, perhaps it is time we had an all inclusive town meeting on this issue, and why not on other issues that face this town and borough as a whole.
We as councillors are elected to represent the views of our residents, we as a council should be communicating more directly with residents and be willing to listen to what they have to say.
Cllr Brian Simpson
Eastfield Ward
Sweetbecks Close, Eastfield
The full article contains 371 words and appears in Scarborough Evening News newspaper.
