A BUNGLING council has agreed to remove a baffling set of traffic lights that point the wrong way in a one-way street.
The lights can only be seen once motorists have passed them and glance in their rear view mirror.
But locals claim the presence of the lights actually lead drivers to go the wrong up the street and then wait at the lights.
And road safety groups fear the lights could even cause an accident if pedestrians assumed it was safe to cross as a car approached.
The mix-up was caused in Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, when a one-way street was created but the old lights left in place and switched on.
Amazingly, the lights in Jenny’s Loaning have been causing confusion for the past two years without the “lazy” local council taking any action.
Local photographer Allan Wright revealed the traffic light teaser on social media this week, posting a picture entitled: “The curious conundrum of Jenny’s Loaning, Castle Douglas.”
He said: “I thought it might take a second or two for it to twig, there is something completely wrong in this picture.”
Allan Matthews responded: “The answer is going to be ‘because they couldn’t be bothered changing it’ or ‘it wasn’t in the budget’.”
Jamie Bradshaw wrote: “It’s one of the highlights of living there, watching people waiting at them the telling them it’s a one way street.”
Keith Kirk explained that the street had been one way for 30 years. The street was made two-way with lights installed so that heavy lorries could get access for the building of a new school.
Two years ago, he said, the street was made one-way again but the light simply left in place and switched on.
He wrote: “The council have been too lazy to take them down. Causes much confusion now. I’ll bet people will still drive up it the wrong. See it regularly.”
Paul Watters, Head of Public Affairs and Roads Police at the AA, said: “The drop kerb encourages pedestrians to cross and there’s the risk if they see that red light they might go to cross while a car is driving down.
“The local authority should carry out an investigation and if there’s a risk of confusion they should simply just take the bulbs out.
“There’s definitely a bit of an issue that needs taken a look at, it’s just very strange.”
A spokesman for Scotland’s Worst Drivers wrote: “This is embarrassing for the council as the reinstatement works must have been signed off many years ago.
“The traffic lights shouldn’t cause for confusion for motorists driving the correct way, on the one way street, however this must be causing unnecessary delays for those on the main road.”
In 2014 it was reported that local Dumfries and Galloway councillors feared their town was being overrun by out of date road signage.
Councillor Andrew Wood revealed there was still a sign up for Holywood Station – despite it being out of commision for around 50 years.
A Dumfries and Galloway spokeswoman said: “Until this photograph was posted Dumfries and Galloway Council had never been contacted or received a single comment or complaint about this issue.”
“We have contacted our colleagues at Police Scotland who say that there has never been any road traffic incidents of any kind due to these lights at Jenny’s Loaning during the past 10 years, making it one of the safest streets in the Stewartry.
“We are now arranging to have the redundant lights removed.”
