So who are ya supposed to ring to complain about a traffic light?

TwoShedsJackson

Anyone ever encountered the set of lights halfway down Templeogue Road going towards Terenure? No junction there, but the bus lane ends there before the road noarrows and so there's a set of lights which periodically go red for normal traffic but are lit green for the bus, obviously so buses, taxis etc. can get out at rush hour.

That's all grand for rush hour but God help you if it goes red and you're caught there on Saturday morning - twice it's happened, the light has stayed red for over five minutes, of course there's little or nothing in the bus lane, so eventually everyone just drives through the red light.

Anyone know who or where I should be directing my strongly worded letter/phone call of complaint?

rebel.ranter

Was that traffic light set up for that road not lobbied for by the residents in the area?

TwoShedsJackson

rebel.ranter wrote: »

Was that traffic light set up for that road not lobbied for by the residents in the area?

I have no idea. But whether it was or was not lobbied for, it's daft to have a light red for over five minutes, wouldn't you agree? As I mentioned, it's not at a junction so there's no side roads to help traffic get out of, the light remains green the other way (the out of town direction) you're just left sitting there like spanners until eventually even the most patient law abiding driver will go 'f\/ck this' and drive through it.

rebel.ranter

Oh, I forgot to add who you might complain to:

• Department of Transport
  
• Local TD
  
• Dublin Traffic Control Centre
  FreePhone: 1800 29 39 49
  
• The wall
  (You'll get same level of satisfaction;))

Victor

I take it that its a bus gate (not all of them actually have a physical gate/bollard).

rebel.ranter wrote: »

[*]Dublin Traffic Control Centre
FreePhone: 1800 29 39 49

This is the best option. Just explain clearly what you are on about and they'll memo it to be inspected.

Alternatively customerservices@dublincity.ie

Kila

I know exactly the set of lights that you mean, and they are really annoying. I too have sat at them for an absolute age on occasion, and more than once have timed the wait at several minutes.

It seems that the trigger for it going red is incorrect, because it often goes red when there's nothing in the bus lane, and hasn't been for a while, and then it stays red far longer than it could take anything to get through.

For those who aren't familiar with it, it's where the Templeogue road moves from being two lanes (one regular, and one bus lane) into one lane. The light should halt regular traffic to let the buses merge without hassle. More often than not, though, the light just causes absolutely huge jams in that area by staying red for a really long time.

Omcd

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

I have no idea. But whether it was or was not lobbied for, it's daft to have a light red for over five minutes, wouldn't you agree? As I mentioned, it's not at a junction so there's no side roads to help traffic get out of, the light remains green the other way (the out of town direction) you're just left sitting there like spanners until eventually even the most patient law abiding driver will go 'f\/ck this' and drive through it.

I think the idea of that light was originally to move the traffic jam that occurred in the village before it was installed back down the road to let buses through, but now it is probably also used to help alleviate chaos in the village at the difficult complex set of traffic lights in the village.

There's 5 busy roads converging there in a bottle neck village, and the situation has not been helped in recent years by the closing off of side roads by which the bottleneck could be bypassed (which were, in fairness, narrow residential streets).

Up until relatively recently it was all so f'ked up in the village that nothing could get from the road from Kimmage Cross that intersects with Templeogue Road at Rathdown Motors into the village due to traffic stopped on the first intersection of the complex junction, but for some reason that doesn't seem to be a problem now, and I guess that reason is the long red back up on Templeogue Road.

Looks like the road from Kimmage Cross is being given more greens at Rathdown Motors than the light on Templeogue Road possibly because of more traffic volume from that road into the village at certain times, or possibly because it might be expected that on a percentage of greens for that road the traffic may not be able to proceed because of traffic from Templeogue Road stopped on the junction.

If someone hasn't conveniently stuck a no right turn sign in the way, it may be possible to drive around that light.

testicle

In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team.

Omcd

or maybe just take the bus...

Jip

Those lights have been like that for years, I think they've only ever really worked as they should once. Alot of people who use this road regularly take no notice of them if there's no bus coming down the bus lane .

TwoShedsJackson

Well, I rang the Traffic Control Centre and they said they were going to get someone out to take a look at them - wouldn't expect anything to come of it but you never know..

floss.brain

i've even had the gardai wave me throught these lights before...

yellow012

I usually just ignored that set of light as well (if there was nothing in the bus lane and no Gardai about), life is too short.

Gregor Samsa

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

Anyone know who or where I should be directing my strongly worded letter/phone call of complaint?

To the local autority.

However, there was a set of lights out for 3 days at a major junction in Ennis a few years ago. No Gardai sent to direct traffic at busy periods. I saw a few near misses on it (and heard of a few crashes), so I phoned Ennis Town Council about it. They told me that the lights would be fixed the next week at the earliest as "the man has to come from Dublin to take a look at them".

In trying to understand why it would take so long for someone to travel 140 miles, I assumed this person was walking from Dublin, and offered to go and pick them up. My offer wasn't appreciated.

As you're situation is in Dublin, maybe the magic traffic light man will get there quicker, assuming he's not en route elsewhere in the country.

Victor

phutyle wrote: »

As you're situation is in Dublin, maybe the magic traffic light man will get there quicker, assuming he's not en route elsewhere in the country.

Based on my experience today he's he's parked in the cycle lane and on the footpath, obstructing a bus stop.

He can't move because he's is on the phone.