The timing of the recently installed traffic lights in Onchan have been changed after continued concerns were raised by the local authority.
Onchan Commissioners had contacted the Department of Infrastructure on a number of occasions, since the signals were installed in December 2012 as part of a major works scheme.
Initially, the department dismissed their concerns saying that the timing of the lights was not to blame for any traffic queues.
Instead, they said that any problems were ‘largely an issue of driver education’.
But it looks as though the department has finally agreed to the Commissioners repeated calls to change the timing of the lights.
Director of Highways Richard Pearson told the Isle of Man Examiner: ‘The department has been monitoring these signals since their installation and a number of adjustments have been made.
‘Notably a new programme was installed on May 24 and then further adjustments to timings were made in view of the evident congestion on the main road.
‘This issue appears to have been resolved following adjustments made on May 29, however we are still monitoring the signals.’
The Commissioners initial concerns were that Main Road traffic had to stop at the second set of signals when travelling both north and south.
In addition, they reported queuing stationary traffic on the Main Road from the Royal Avenue junction through the Avondale Road junction.
This was not witnessed by DoI officers when they assessed peak hour traffic flow at the end of February.
The department assured the local authority that there was no problem with the lights and that it was largely an issue of driver education.’
But last month, the Commissioners again wrote to the department indicating they were ‘not satisfied’ with the response that the timing of the lights wasn’t the problem.
And they again asked if changes were going to be made.
Concern about the pedestrian crossing lights not staying on long enough for pedestrians to cross safely was also raised.
In addition, one commissioner said that the sequence of the lights caused traffic to block the carriageway, making it unsafe for pedestrians to cross.
It was described as ‘an accident waiting to happen’.
Mr Pearson said that drivers needed to be reminded of rule 192 of the Highway Code which requires queuing drivers not to block pedestrian crossings.
• Do you think there is a problem with the timing of the traffic lights in Onchan? Have the recent changes to the timing of the signals helped the situation?
Email opinions@newsiom.co.im or write to us at Isle of Man Examiner, Publishing House, Peel Road, Douglas, IM1 5PZ.
