Traffic lights that do more harm than good

SIR – Edward Reeve (Letters, March 12) is right to highlight the contribution of badly set traffic lights to congestion.

Here in Derby there is a major road running north out of the city centre that has five sets of lights in a quarter of a mile. Three sets are at junctions and two at pedestrian crossings.

Not only do the traffic lights allow insufficient time for traffic flow to develop, but none of the lights operate in phase, so invariably at least one, and usually two, sets of lights are on red at any time.

Needless to say there is serious traffic build up at rush hour – this in a city with among the country’s worst air-pollution figures. No wonder. Terry Lloyd

Derby

SIR – John Redwood, addressing the Oxford Union in 2013 on why socialism does not work, used the metaphor of authoritarian traffic lights versus the freedom of individuals at roundabouts. Don Webber

Bembridge, Isle of Wight