Motorists see red over Mumps chaos

Photo: Anthony Miller

FRUSTRATION for drivers heading towards Oldham along Huddersfield Road as the lights show red for almost two minutes.

ANGRY motorists are being driven to despair by traffic lights controlling the new road set-up at Mumps

Many have been stuck in long tailbacks as they attempt to get into Oldham town centre.

Some are complaining it is taking more than 30 minutes to get through the area, which will soon become the town’s Metrolink hub.

Furious Oldham businessman Simon Taylor filmed the Oldham-bound traffic lights from Bottom o’th Moor to show how one set of the junction’s traffic lights was on red for almost two minutes and then went on green for only eight seconds.

Mr Taylor, who runs the outdoor clothing and equipment store Mountainfeet at Rhodes Bank, said: “It took me 40 minutes to get from Tesco on Huddersfield Road through Mumps on Wednesday.

“This is just compounding more of the problem in accessing the town centre, which businesses don’t need.”

Complaints have flooded into the Evening Chronicle, with drivers sharing their experiences of the traffic chaos this week.

Mumps roundabout was transformed into a junction controlled by traffic lights at the end of last month.

Oldham resident Lynn Pilkington, said in a letter: “I was late for work again and my excuses are wearing thin now — so much so that I was told if I was late again I was up for disciplinary.”

Sue Mullin lives in Grotton and has experienced excruciating delays. She said: “On Wednesday it took me an hour and 45 minutes to get to work in Chadderton, I didn’t get there until 10am and I’m supposed to start at 9am. Do I have to set off at 6.30 in the morning to be at work on time?

“You can see people in their cars getting so frustrated just trying to think of another way to go, but it’s impossible.”

A Holmfirth motorist who works in Oldham said: “I was due to be in work at 6.30am and I still got stuck in traffic for 30 minutes. You don’t expect so much traffic at that time, it was ridiculous.”

Oldham Council received a number of complaints and said the issue was raised immediately with contractors, responsible for the signal management.

Councillor Dave Hibbert, cabinet member for housing, transport and regeneration, said: “A power failure earlier this week caused the temporary signals at Mumps to lose their programmed settings which affected the phasing of the lights.”

“I am aware that this malfunction has caused significant disruption to motorists — including myself — but would like to make clear these signals have not been phased this way intentionally and the disruption caused by this power failure is being dealt with as a priority.”