Danger using traffic lights

Normally, although busy there is no particular traffic problem outside of the rush hours in both morning and evening and of course the 'school run' when the lane is particularly congested of the type usually associated with town and city centres.

The lane then settles down once again to a fairly quite traffic situation until later in the evening and early morning when the idiots arrive in their 'souped up' vehicles or noisy hatchbacks tearing up and down the lane causing mayhem and danger to other road users.

Midway along the lane we have the emergency services, both fire and ambulance with a set of traffic lights either side of the entrance.

These lights are supposed to be used when fire appliances and ambulances are called out, warning oncoming traffic and pedestrians of the departing vehicles bearing in mind that vehicles travelling from the roundabout at Cainscross are totally unsighted due to the bend.

There is a sign both sides of the road and at the approaches from both ways to the effect that vehicles should stop when the lights are flashing: despite many complaints and several 'near misses' the lights are not always used, particularly by the Ambulance Service.

Bearing all this in mind, we note that at great expense and inconvenience to residents the traffic lights have now been replaced/upgraded and - the lights are still not being used.

The signs indicate the lights are operative, if they are not flashing that will give the impression it is safe to proceed.

There have been several accidents at this spot over the years including at least one involving an ambulance on an emergency call, does it mean another accident with perhaps serious injury before the the emergency services bother to carry out the simple procedure required to activate these lights or is the installation to be seen as yet another exercise in wasted resources?

Robin Mounteney Paganhill Lane