by Alex Claridge
aclaridge@thekmgroup.co.uk

A video of gridlocked traffic next to Westgate Towers has appeared on the internet.

Filmed after the start of the controversial traffic system, it shows a bus waiting at the towers for more than five minutes, unable to pass round them into St Peter’s Place because of vehicles coming the other way.

The bus sits through five sets of 15-second green traffic lights, while vehicles coming in the opposite direction have stopped because they cannot get into St Dunstan’s Street or North Lane.

Traffic is also shown queueing in St Dunstan’s as it too cannot move.

The video was filmed on Saturday, April 7 – 12 days after the scheme came into effect.

Opponents of the scheme will be able to use the video as evidence that it should be ditched when the one-year trial period is over next year.

Cllr Alex Perkins, the leader of the Lib Dem group on the city council, has seen the video and is among those who want to see the scheme work.

He believes a policeman or a council official stationed at the towers could help keep traffic moving.

“Having spent so much time and effort on it, we owe it to the public to make this work,” Cllr Perkins said.

“At the moment, it clearly does not work and people keep telling us that. We will be calling on the police or council to put someone there.”

The video – posted by someone calling themselves WestgateExperiment – is one of four on YouTube about the traffic scheme.

In one, the poster rails against the curry stall which opened next to the towers while another forecasts that “this summer the nightmare begins” and a third contains views from people both for and against the scheme.

Despite obvious problems and delays at the Westgate Towers, the city council remains defiant over its introduction of the new traffic system.

Spokesman Rob Davies said: “We are monitoring the situation carefully and more signs will be put up. We are also talking with the police with a view to looking at some enforcement measures in the area.”

Search for Westgate Towers - Saturday 7thApril.wmv on YouTube to see the video.