GRIDLOCK on Cambridge roads is hitting the city’s businesses in the pocket.
Motorists have been slowed to a crawl by road works in and around the city, with the respite of the school holidays still weeks away.
The Hills Road bridge is currently down to a single lane during off-peak hours while a guided bus underpass is constructed – leaving jams stretching as far back as Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
Works are being carried out on Horningsea Road and in Cottenham, while resurfacing and the construction of a new park and ride site on the A10 has also caused delays.
The city’s driving instructors are among the worst hit, and other businesses are feeling the pinch too – while there are fears shoppers might shun Cambridge because of tailbacks.
Lola Craft, chair of the Cambridge Association of Approved Driving Instructors (CAADI), said her members were taking a pay cut or working longer hours.
Ms Craft said: “It’s impossible to get anywhere with all these main arterial roads out of Cambridge blocked.
“It means people are paying for me to sit in traffic with them and I can’t make them do that.”
Ms Craft said she had been forced to turn down enquiries from Waterbeach and from students at Hills Road College because of the traffic problems.
She said: “Why are they doing all these works at the same time? It just shows a lack of planning. Some of us are wondering how much more we can take.”
John Bridge, chairman of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, said: “It’s difficult for companies trying to deliver or pick goods up, and people are losing money because they have to put aside more time to get places. There hasn’t been enough coordination or communication, and it’s causing a lot of frustration.”
Sid Couzens, chairman of the Cambridge Licenced Taxi Owners’ Association, said: “Our takings have gone down because if you’re sitting in traffic you’re not earning as much as you should. And it costs customers more to get places as well.”
A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesman said: “Road works tend to happen when the weather is better because that’s when you get more done, and you get lighter traffic towards the school holidays as well.
“They are planned to be some distance from each other and we put details of all works on our website.”
Source: Cambridgeshire News website, by Chris Havergal
Its been some time since I was last in Cambridge, but to my reconing, its always been a difficult place to drive in due to congestion.
What also makes it worse are the high amount of Bus lanes which seldome seem to be occupied by Buses! Trumpington Road is the one I always remember which is not dissimilar to Ampthill road in Bedford)! Also, there are a high number of cyclists. It has always amazed me that in a town such as Cambridge, with so many cycle lanes, how few cyclists actually use them.
I can sympathize with the Cambridge driving instructors, but expecting the highways dept at the council to use common sense when planning road works, is just sillY!! Perhaps a traffic blockade of the council offices, preventing the beaurocrates and counicillors from actually getting into the offices might be doing a good public service.
Paul.
Comment by Paul — July 3, 2008 @ 10:12 pm