Motorists angry at 'bumper to bumper' traffic in BCP

Last week, there were 70 different roadworks across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole – including the ongoing cycle lane work in Ringwood Road, Poole. 

And drivers are reaching boiling point at the seemingly never-ending roadworks across Poole, with some saying journey times are being doubled. 

Retired Canford Heath resident Jillian Biggs said a typical 20-minute drive to Wimborne now takes about 45/50 minutes as she’s sat “bumper to bumper”. 

“Nobody seems to be in charge of the roads,” she said. “If a gas main or water pipe needs repairing and it’s unexpected, too bad, that’s just unfortunate. 

(Image: Daily Echo)

“But the local council has allowed all of these roadworks to go ahead without a thought for anybody. They say they want us to all go out to work but impede us all from doing this. 

“The council needs to get a grip of the traffic.” 

Businessman Ray Lovell, 72, said his journey from Broadstone to Parley used to take 15 minutes but can now take up to an hour.

The owner of South Coast Karting, who also founded a Facebook group called BCP and Dorset Motorists, criticised the "lack of co-ordinating" from the council.

He said: "None of the roadworks are co-ordinated, because if they were things would be a lot better.

"It's as if they're deliberately doing this to cause chaos. There's no communication at all, it's obscene. It's causing more pollution, frustration and businesses to lose money."

Chair of the group Mark Davison said it can take up to 45 minutes to get from Canford Heath to Southbourne via Wallisdown Road.

He said: There's no sense of urgency to get the roadworks done, everybody seems to be on slow time.

"And the roadworks are being done as 'traffic improvements' by the council, but they're not 'improvements' for motorists, rather improvements for cyclists and bus users."

Mr Davison, who said he is not anti cyclist and cycles for "pleasure and leisure", said the number one complaint he hears is on "underused" cycle lanes.

Andy Hadley, cabinet member responsible for the roads at BCP Council, empathised with motorists stuck in the traffic and encouraged them to use a bike to help ease congestion. 

Responding to questions about the traffic in Poole from the Echo, Cllr Hadley said: “We know our residents want well-maintained roads, access to high-speed internet and reliable water, gas and electricity services.  

“To provide this, our roads and footways and the underground services within them need regular maintenance and improvement and this can mean some disruption to traffic. 

“Keeping the road network flowing is always our priority and planned works are always carefully assessed and scheduled.  

Andy Hadley, BCP Council cabinet member (Image: BCP Council)

“On average, 86 per cent of the works taking place are not conducted by BCP Council, but by utility providers and we work with them to plan works and grant permits to reduce their impact as far as possible.  

“Whilst the council can plan some work, we cannot control emergency work, so if a water main bursts or a sewer collapses, that becomes an immediate priority. In the last month, these have accounted for 30 per cent of all works. 

“For any companies not complying with their permits, such as overrunning or leaving equipment out once they have finished, we can and do issue fines. 

“I do have empathy for those affected by these works. To try and alleviate the time spent in traffic,  I would recommend allowing extra time or considering travelling outside busy periods if you can.

"I’d also encourage anyone who can, to travel on public transport, by bike or on foot – it helps reduce the amount of cars on the road and has the added benefits for health and the environment.”