Town goes green... by turning off traffic lights

TRAFFIC lights are an accepted part of life for drivers, whether viewed as a nuisance or not.

But one town has made the decision to switch them off.

Power to all traffic lights in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, has been cut in an effort to halt pollution.

Residents believe the signals were t o blame f or lengthy tailbacks and congestion which led to car fumes clogging the air.

Perth and Kinross Council says the two-week pilot will end if safety issues arise.

Councillor Bob Ellis, who has campaigned against the town centre traffic lights for several years, said: ‘I don’t anticipate we’ll have any major problems.

‘There have been a few times in the past when Blairgowrie lost its lights because of power cuts. Whenever that happened, there were no issues or accidents.

‘The main problem with the lights was the tailbacks. You would regularly see a line of cars three-quarters of a mile long.’

While the first day of the trial was largely trouble-free, there was one minor collision just after midday. No one was injured.

The trial is believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland.

Vehicles travelling north along the A93 to Braemar will have priority, and drivers must give way to vehicles at junctions where the lights would have been.

A 20mph limit has been introduced and temporary pedestrian crossings have been installed.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘If all road markings in the specific area are correct, people will take more care when driving if there are no traffic lights.’