A traffic junction n Northampton that has seen more than a dozen accidents ‘should not cause a problem to careful drivers’, road chiefs say.
Staff at nearby businesses have been calling for the crossroads outside the Thomas A Becket pub in St James to revert back to traditional traffic lights after witnessing several accidents in the past two years, ever since a filter lane into St James Mill Road Industrial Estate was installed. They include one last Wednesday involving a bin lorry and a car.
Businesses near the lights say most are caused when traffic waiting in the middle of the junction to turn right into St James Mill Road cannot see cars from the opposite direction coming straight on or turning left.
But MGWSP, the private firm Northamptonshire County Council employs to run its highways contract, said the set-up of the junction was not the problem.
A council spokeswoman, on behalf of MGWSP, said: “We’re aware of the concerns raised about this junction – as a busy junction, drivers do need to be aware of oncoming traffic with many vehicles accessing the industrial estate this way. However, it should not pose problems for a careful motorist.”
But Richard Cutler, landlord of the Thomas A Becket, said: “That’s nonsense. I’ve never had an accident in 30 years and I had a real near miss just on Sunday.
“I’ve seen eight accidents myself in two years and it needs changing.”