Rat-run road rage as drivers take to lanes
Thursday 14th April 2011, 2:30PM BST.
Alison Harris at Les Camps du Moulin, where drivers shunning an official diversion have been getting angry with one another, a property has been damaged and where residents, who struggle to get out of their driveways, have had to direct traffic. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 1123058)
DRIVERS dodging roadworks have turned some St Martin’s lanes into a ‘rat-run’ nightmare.
Residents have had to direct traffic, a property has been damaged and frustrated drivers have been shouting at each other as they try to avoid the closure of Grande Rue.
It shut on Monday for surface repairs and should reopen tomorrow, but many motorists have been avoiding the official diversion to the north. Instead, they have been taking the southern route along Burnt Lane and Les Camps du Moulin.
That has left residents struggling to get out of their homes.
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Usual lash up I’m afraid. Environment decide to close a major arterial route completely,(how many times has this junction/road been closed in the last couple of years?) leaving residents yet again to fend for themselves. There has been no policing,no temporary traffic lights, insufficient signage and when was the last time you ever saw anybody on point duty? It’s all well and good them saying follow the diversions but then you get caught up in the traffic trying to avoid the Kings Road closure. This has all the hallmarks to a similar closure last year and the advice I was given then (none too politely) was that to get to my area of St.Martins it was recommended I go via La Chene traffic lights, this added approximately two miles to my journey coming from town to St.Martins. It has been road closure after road closure in this area for a couple of years which is bad enough in itself (I accept the work has to be done), but the unnecessary diversions because the buses (which appear to be empty most of the time) are deemed important enough to inconvenience residents as lanes are made one way. This has resulted in the lanes ending up in a terrible state as buses and other heavy traffic is diverted down once quiet country lanes. The lack of surface where the potholes join up have to be seen to be believed in some of the lanes coming off of the Saints road.
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Perhaps if every single road on the island wasn’t closed then maybe people would be able to get around easier.
Just because the schools are out for two weeks doesn’t mean that people don’t need to get anywhere.
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Only in Guernsey do they close roads so casually, without any consideration for the effects it will have. All it has done is frustrate everyone – yet again. Completely incompetent planning – yet again.
I want my road tax refunded.
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On your bikes you lot!
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or…maybe they could use the proper diversion…
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Saints – Sorry but the problems are not being caused by the buses, they are being caused by people who think they can circumvent the diversions by using the lanes through St Martins, which are not able to cope. I do think that more consideration should be given to perhaps making some of the roads temporarily one way but if people (other than those who would use the lanes anyway) would stop ignoring the diversions then there wouldn’t be a problem. At the moment the road outside my house is basically an idiots’ convention approx every 30 minutes, which I find pretty funny to be honest but my dog doesn’t like it much when he has to pick his way through the numpties for his walk!
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stand up and be counted
another guernsey shambles
you make my job so easy
Accept the facts
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If I go via chene traffic lights it puts 2 miles on my journey???!!!
Wtf!!!!! Think some people should try sitting in a traffic jam on M5
For a while!!! Then they might just get things in to perspective!!!
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Gsygooner :- I think during this present shambles environment have totally miscalculated how many people actually reside in the area and travelling down Les Camps du Moulin should be the best way to get home for many, if you follow the official advice you get caught up in extra traffic and congestion caused by the Kings Road closure. You misread what I posted (I hadn’t linked buses to this present debacle but was using them as an example to highlight what has been going on during the last couple of years or so and the inconvenience experienced by many residents in the area) in that a lot of the lanes have been made one way unnecessarily in recent times to accomodate these oversized buses and their schedules down unsuitable lanes, again these changes add journey times increase traffic flow through normally quiet lanes, which as a result are now in a terrible condition. Like yourself, I find dog walking in the lanes at present a fairly horrendous experience and have given up and I now take mine out in the car to quieter parts of the island for walks so I don’t have to take my life in my hands every time I step outside the front door. Perhaps this is the way for the powers that be to generate extra income from fuel duty, make everybody drive unnecessary and longer car journeys. ;)
Nathan:- Your point is?? What has the M5 got to do with anything in regards to Guernsey, but since you brought it up and talking of perspective it would be analogous to travelling via Wales to get to Southampton from London.
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Well, hey hey, Environment (Traffic) and Environment (Planning) have got everything wrong again…and…again…and again… What a surprise!!!!
The Diversions for the road works in Grande Rue St. Martin’s were woefully inadequate… TYPICAL!
And the Planning department decisions on Griffins shop in St. Saviour was totally wrong. They could have changed the ‘legal use’ of ‘Industrial and Sales area’ to ‘Sales’ area only… but due to ‘SPITE’ they refused… TYPICAL!
They refused a ‘Child Centred’ school to put HSSD and Health and Safety experts view approved fencing. Which Planet are the Planning Department on???
There have been many other daft decisions…
Replacing Granite walls with Granite walls in St. Pierre du Bois… Replacing like for like wooden fencing in the Vale … and many other examples of daft and not ‘ common sense ‘ results from the DAFT PLANNING DEPARTMENT. Politicians: Please take note: The Environment DEPARTMENT NEEDS TAKING IN HAND and FAST!!!
PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Nathan we are not in the UK so your’e post is totally irrelavant.
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They need to take road tax off our fuel, we pay a lot in road tax, the roads are still crap and we have to fend for ourselves through these small country lanes.
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I agree with Nathan. Adding 2 miles to a journey would be considered a minor inconvenience to many people – we get it easy compared to the UK (and elsewhere) where delays can be hours or diversions tens of miles. Yes, it can be frustrating but if everyone followed the recommended route traffic would flow much better.
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Simple solution to road closures!
Ban all 4 wheels forever (except those that can prove commercial use annually)
Then children could walk/cycle to many schools in safety. That extra exercise will put them in good stead for a healthier life (savings for PEH)
Increase bus services + coverage
Add a taxi benefit for elderly/disabled!
Cars are a convenience not a necessity for life
Utoh! this will go nowhere
As SOG would short term lose to much income to ever think about it
Now ~ what roads will be closed for resurfacing after the proposed airport runway extensions finished?
Darn!
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I moved to this island last year and I love it- the last thing I would want to do is to be seen to moan about it. But the road closures are one thing that I can’t quite understand. Why so many? And for so long? I know the roads are narrower than in most places, but is this the whole answer?
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The usual advice we hear all the time on the radio when there are such road closures, which is more or less continual, is to follow the diversion or “Find an alternative route”. Not so easy over here without resorting to the lanes in most cases, assuming these are PUBLIC roads the inconvenienced public, by being denied use of the main roads are using these other roads as an alternative, if any law is being broken, wrong way up a one way for instance then that’s a matter for the police, if not, the tough wotsits, it’ll be someone elses turn next month!!
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How on earth is pbfalla supposed to organise an orderly exodus with all these road closures? I agree with SS, the States allow roads to be closed at the drop of a hat with no concern for the additional time, cost, pollution or accidents which result. For example, they closed my road for about a month because a garden wall was being built – about twenty feet long by about four feet high. Progress was pathetically slow and only intruded about 3 feet into the road. Absurd, at most they could have closed one lane of traffic and told them do do the work in two weeks. That would have resulted in 75% less disruption but they just don’t give a damn.
If the States had any brains at all they would say “sure, we will close the road – the tariff for that road is £250, per lane per day – how long would you like?” Then see how long the roads are closed for. Of course it will be added to the cost of building works but it will focus peoples’ attention – why should motorists always bear the brunt? Nice source of income for the States too. Rant over. Rule Brittannia!
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I passed a temporary traffic light system twice in one day. once at twenty minutes past eight and again at twenty minutes to four in the afternoon. Surprise ,surprise! not a single workman to be seen ! and these are not isolated cases. Until we have someone in charge and I mean “reponsible”for this shambles, then instances like these will continue.
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Mr H. You’re obviously on the same wave length as me! Im a long distance lorry driver and do over 3k a week! Every time I see a black and silver number plate it’s either hugging lane two or three or driving @ 60 mph in a 70! Maybe that also explains y certain narrow minded people on here moan about 2 mile inconveniences! Get out in the big world stop moaning learn to drive & most of all get a life!!!!
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Another guernsey shambles.
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Some things never change, then! I left Guernsey nearly three years ago and there were nothing but complaints about road closures at that time, too. Why isn’t there an island-wide committee to organise the closures in a sensible order so there are only a few going on at any one time? On another note, if I’d known that Waitrose were coming to the island I might have stayed on – would I? Nah.
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Charge the utility companies by the day for all road closures and builders, developers, scaffold companies, removal companies and skip providers for the signs and lamps provide free of charge whenever they decide to close a road or a footpath. This would be a nice little earner for the States of Guernsey and would also cause these people to sharpen up their act.
We must all know of people who claim that they need parking suspended in front of their house, to enable work to be undertaken on their property and who then use the space as their own private parking space for weeks on end. If there were daily charges for all of the services provided by the Environment’s Traffic Section then the abuse of the services provided might ease a little.
Simples.
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Environment are not the total cause of road closure chaos, some of the problems are caused by the local Guernsey drivers, especially elderly drivers. A mere road closed sign and diversion notice does it seems, little to detract them from how they traditionally get from A to B. As heard in St Martins pharmacy yesterday “my Wesley takes no notice, he always goes the same way”…..
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This is what annoys me intensely. Looking at the IRIS web-site I see Les Camps in St.Martins is due to be closed from the 18th-20th April, I would really like to know why this work wasn’t done whilst the Grande Rue was closed all of last week?
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Slightly off topic but I’ve got a message for Nathan – I like hogging lanes two and three on the motorway, it beats being stuck behind bored HGV drivers for four or five miles as they attempt to pass each other with a speed differential of about 2mph!
So called professional drivers – I think not in many cases!
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Kevin – Nathan was probably referring to those who consistently refuse to move back to the left having completed an overtaking manoeuvre, commonly referred to as middle lane morons. It is incredibly frustrating for those behind who may wish to go at a faster pace than yourself.
As to the roads in Guernsey, if people just paid attention to the diversions instead of trying to squeeze heavy two way traffic down narrow lanes things might be a little easier.
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I would not feel too bad about driving in the middle lane if I was keeping to a steady 70mph and passing the occasional crawler. What is so difficult about using the ‘overtaking lane’ for its proper purpose that makes so many dangerous halfwits overtake in the slow lane instead? is there some feeble urban myth about not getting caught for speeding if you are in the slow lane? Thats what I call moronic.
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Here is a simple equation. More cars/more journeys in cars = more erosion of the road hence more road works.
Simple stuff. Stop moaning car users for crying out loud. 2 miles out your way? If you were Walking that is half an hour. In a car it is 5-10 minutes. Big deal.
Basically, roads need maintaining, if they aren’t… then car owners moan like pie dogs. And when they are maintained guess what you are still moaning. There is a definite pattern here. Here is an idea, stop moaning and get walking or cycling.
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PB Falla
You are turning into a very dull Troll, think you need to have a permanent exodus, keyboard warrior, lol
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What goes on on UK motorways is irrelevant to the island. A two-mile diversion by island standards IS a lot and IS very annoying. As humans we adjust our expectations according to the general conditions, that`s how it is with psychology.
Having said all that, I hope this closure lark will be finished by easter when I`m over!
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slep
Well said, but some people just cant help compareing anything and everything to that other place mm i forget the name of it now.
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I don’t understand all of the anger over people driving through the lanes. I know it is causing some stress and maybe it would be best if they did follow the diversions but the lanes are there to be driven on. People can drive on any open roads that they choose, so surely the people who live around these areas will just have to accept this minor inconvenience for a little while and the press will have to refrain from publishing such stories about people driving on the roads (as evil as it may be).
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I agree Mr T. Public roads are for driving on whether they be roads or lanes. Sometimes the whole problem could be resolved by making a couple of lanes one way. When Forest Road was closed last year the diversion route to get from the Carlton Hotel to La Trelade Hotel was via Les Caches, Les Varioufs, La Brigade, Route de St. Andre, Les Rues Frairies, Route des Blicqs and Le Chene and then Forest Road. Quite unnecessary when you have lanes both south and to the north of Forest Road. You make one set westbound and the other eastbound and the problem is solved. This was done for some of the time but for some reason it wasn’t maintained throughout the whole closure meaning that lanes became clogged up when cars met cars going in the opposite direction. A child could do better at planing it all. The other thing that really annoys me is when people complain about a road closure and the Environment Department come up with the same old comment that there is nothing they can do and that the public were notified of the closure well in advance. Great, but if it is not properly co-ordinated then knowing about it 1 year in advance does nothing to solve the problem.
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I like driving in my car
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