Something should be done about these Wednesday 'mobile roadblocks' (From Dorset Echo)

Something should be done about these Wednesday 'mobile roadblocks'

5:00pm Sunday 28th June 2009 in

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I, along with a large number of other people, regularly commute along Dorchester Road Weymouth. Everyone who uses this road is well aware that it is, at commuter times extremely busy.

In fact I would hazard that it is the busiest road in county outside Bournemouth and Poole.

Every second Wednesday matters are compounded by the presence of TWO Weymouth and Portland Council waste collection /kerbside recycling vehicles.

These two vehicles travel in convoy from about 0715 up (and down) the section to the North of Littlemoor traffic lights, this section of road is always busy and invariably at this time in the morning has a queue of stationary traffic heading south into Weymouth.

This queue occupies one side of the road and the other side is occupied by the recycling lorries!

The net result is that on every second Wednesday morning all of the traffic heading towards Dorchester (which has its market on the same day) is constrained by these two mobile roadblocks.

Nothing can pass due to the stationary queue of southbound traffic so everyone progresses North at the same speed as the refuse lorry, that being a slow walking pace.

Could I ask that the person who is responsible for scheduling the kerbside collection on this section of road explains, via the letters page, to we motorists why he thinks it is acceptable, or reasonable, to carry out this (admittedly vital) task when the road is carrying its highest volume of traffic?

The Council fought long and hard to get the much needed relief road yet now they actively compound the current congestion and delays that the new road is designed to alleviate!

I would assume these vehicles collect from the surrounding area so why oh why is the schedule not arranged to ensure that they stay OFF Dorchester Road until the morning commuter rush is over, say after 9am?

Its not rocket science is it?

If a contractor wishes to carry out works on this section of the highway the council imposes restrictions on when they can operate traffic lights etc - so why can the Waste Management department operate these ‘mobile roadblocks’ with impunity?

I, and I suspect a large proportion of my fellow travellers look forward to a detailed explanation from W&PBC waste management dept.

Andy Culley, St Annes Road, Weymouth.