Conservative Church ward candidate Geoff Poland has joined calls for the traffic lights at Shinfield Road to be removed. Geoff has written to the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) at Crowthorne to ask that as part of their review of the scheme, they recommend to the Council that both sets of lights should be removed.
The traffic light scheme was approved by Labour in the Autumn of 2009 and the contract was signed off in February 2010. Works had already begun in March 2010 meaning that the incoming Conservative led administration could not cancel the scheme without incurring significant penalties.
Following a Council technical review which found against removing the lights, TRL were commissioned to conduct an entirely independent review of all aspects of the scheme.
Geoff said “It has become clear from my discussions with many local residents that the traffic lights imposed by Labour are deeply unpopular and are causing real problems for the area. Conservatives have pledged that if TRL finds that the lights can be safely removed they will be removed. As a local businessman myself I am also conscious of the impact on the local business community and am concerned that they be given every support in these difficult economic times. I do hope that TRL will heed my call for the lights to be removed and other measures installed to ensure improved safety for all road users and pedestrians.”