HAVING made several fruitless telephone calls to the borough engineers department, perhaps an airing of my complaint in The Journal might bear more fruit.

Many weeks ago, chicanes and traffic lights were erected to control access to pedestrian areas in Leigh. In Bold Street they replaced cones which hitherto, had successfully deterred cars between the forbidden times of 1030 and 1600. Now, day after day, cars drive up Bold Street, turn left at the Midland Bank along Bradshawgate's so-called pedestrian area (signs indicating "left turn only" at this junction almost invite traffic) then left again at The Globe in to Vernon Street.

Two weeks ago, as I stood on this area, a car performed this forbidden manoeuvre at 11.45am as a mounted policeman, chatting to a lady friend, watched it go by!

One of these days, as more people stand to chat in this part of Bradshawgate - as the weather improves, someone is going to be killed. Who will be liable for compensation - the erring motorist, or the local authority?

My phone calls to Wigan have produced various excuses for the abysmal failure to get proper traffic control working, including the cold weather and difficulty in getting certain electronic equipment.

Why not, meanwhile, use cones again? Or will it take a fatal accident to get things moving? And will then the blame be laid on central government for under-funding? Certainly it is time something was done.

J.B. Griffin

Oakwood Drive, Leigh

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.