penalised

[Tighsonas4]

once more disabled drivers are being by others
it took me about ten minutes to get out of the precint today
the traffic warden is back and came along all the cars to explain the situation, the police have put the lights on long delay
REASON taxi drivers and others using this route as a shortcut
theres also cctv cameras in operation should anyone jump the lights tony

[Stack Rock]

I agree - the precinct is is definately being misused and has been from the outset, getting worse. Today the line of cars stretched from the lights almost back to the Crown. A high percentage of users are young drivers too lazy to walk to the shops or spoons from the nearby car parks, or taking shortcuts
PS - Taxis don't normally wait for the lights to turn green, they go as soon as a gap apears.

[Kevin Milkins]

I would not normally drive down the precinct, but I was late to drop something off at the council office last week and as it was just in and out I did drive down their.
I wondered why the lights took so long to change, so sorry Tony if I have unwittingly contributed to what has grown into a great inconvenience for the less able.

[bekisman]

I wondered what was going on, as my wife and I had just come out of spoons (I have disabled badge) and could not even get into the line of traffic - this was at 12.10, eventually the Traffic Warden went and stopped the traffic on the main road so we could all get out.. so the coppers have delayed the lights? Hmm. that's bright, inconveniences everyone; us cripples and the bloody taxis and lazy gits who won't park behind Morag's or back of the dental surgery, to save their bleeding legs - I only wish I had a decent pair of legs myself.
We saw the traffic warden.. Easy enough for him to do spot checks on vehicles as they wait for the 'normal' delay at the lights - have they a blue badge/and does it say 'disabled' on the tax disk or 'PLG'? - the route is not a thoroughfare for any lazy git; says so at the entrance by Sam's.

But I bet your bottom $ that nowt will happen, us perfectly legal folk will just have to twiddle our fingers for five minutes till the lights change, and yes, I have seen Taxi's not waiting for the lights to change, but wait for a break and nip through, really wonder if that camera's a dummy?

[shazzap]

I wondered what was happening there too.
I thought the lights had failed when i went that way last week, it took forever for them to change.
I have a disabled blue badge and try to park so as not to cause a nuisance and find that parking near the council offices is the one of the safest bets as i have to fully open my door to get in and out.

[MrsK]

So maybe the Taxis who are dropping off the elderly and disabled for the Market Square shops and Council Offices should just dump their passengers at the bottom of Shore Lane so the whingers can get through the lights a bit quicker?

[bekisman]

MrsK: "So maybe the Taxis who are dropping off the elderly and disabled for the Market Square shops and Council Offices should just dump their passengers at the bottom of Shore Lane so the whingers can get through the lights a bit quicker? "

Yea right, quite often I've, (have you?) sat and seen with my own eyes these taxi's coming straight along High Street past Sam's direct to the lights and out onto Bridge Street, 'sometimes' they stop for the red lights, mostly just nip out whilst there's a break in the traffic - I must admit I did wonder how long it would be before the disabled were called 'Whingers'
Nothing wrong with Taxi's dropping off Whingers and elderly - but obviously the Police are concerned as it's them who've changed the light system..

[silverfox57]

if taxi driver has a disable passenger for hire,dose not me
they are above the law,have seen many taxis jump the lights
with no passengers inside,saw one clown jump the lights
he never even seen police car had his back,he crossed in front
of traffic at speed but was stopped at once,think is is a shame
that real disable drivers are penalised,

[MrsK]

MrsK: "So maybe the Taxis who are dropping off the elderly and disabled for the Market Square shops and Council Offices should just dump their passengers at the bottom of Shore Lane so the whingers can get through the lights a bit quicker? "

Yea right, quite often I've, (have you?) sat and seen with my own eyes these taxi's coming straight along High Street past Sam's direct to the lights and out onto Bridge Street, 'sometimes' they stop for the red lights, mostly just nip out whilst there's a break in the traffic - I must admit I did wonder how long it would be before the disabled were called 'Whingers'
Nothing wrong with Taxi's dropping off Whingers and elderly - but obviously the Police are concerned as it's them who've changed the light system..


I never called any disabled person a 'whinger'. It's a general, sweeping comment that encompasses all those who complain.

That's the same as a general, sweeping comment that encompasses all non-disabled badged cars that queue at the lights........

[bluemafia]

somebody mentioned about parking behind morags,it seems to me that there are no carparks in wick,because everybody seems to park on the street which create tailbacks and irate drivers[disgust]

[Jester]

Why do people insist on double parking, and blocking the road completely? Most inconsiderate :eek:
At least today a double parked car had the sense to drive off, as cars were backing up in both directions :roll:
As consideration for others and common sense seems a bit thin on the ground, perhaps some of these single yellow lines need to be made into double yellow lines.

[bluemafia]

and do you actually think they would take any notice of a double yellow line!

[Jester]

and do you actually think they would take any notice of a double yellow line!

Probably not :confused It is a sad state of affairs :roll:
Spotted the traffic warden the other day who appeared to do little pro-active about the situation. Not sure what powers he has?

[Tosh]

The other week I was shopping, at the traffic lights a POLICE 4x4 and a car behind waiting, went in a shop had a browse around 4-5 mins came out they were still there with 5 or 6 cars behind, police be this time were sick of waiting so the PC turned on the blue lights and drove through the red light, 30 secs later they changed, there was no emergency the blue lights were off when around the corner. My point being and I know for a fact because it has happened, if you or I had done that it would have been points on licence and fined, even though you point out that the lights were never changing.

[MrsK]

The other week I was shopping, at the traffic lights a POLICE 4x4 and a car behind waiting, went in a shop had a browse around 4-5 mins came out they were still there with 5 or 6 cars behind, police be this time were sick of waiting so the PC turned on the blue lights and drove through the red light, 30 secs later they changed, there was no emergency the blue lights were off when around the corner. My point being and I know for a fact because it has happened, if you or I had done that it would have been points on licence and fined, even though you point out that the lights were never changing.

The lights on the square have always been a pain. I've 'jumped' the lights after sitting there for God knows how long, but only after making sure that there are no pedestrians about to use the crossings.

The 'camera' that is at the junction is actually a traffic sensor - it's meant to trigger the lights on the square so that the sequence changes to let out traffic off the squere - if there's nobody there, it won't include the square lights in the sequence. That's why there's an 'X' on the cobbles - so that they can ensure the camera is sensor is correctly aligned.
But it has been hit and miss in the past. That's why people (Police included and, in fact, one occasion where even the Traffic Warden had to wave everyone out) get hacked off and sneak out.

I aren't going to sit there all day at a light that I must presume is faulty if it doesn't let me out after a fair lengthe of time. I'll let the lights go through three full cycles - no more.

Don't like my attitude? Tough.

[bluemafia]

and i bet you haven't even bothered to report it as faulty(presumeably),ah well it won't be my licence the points go on if you get caught going through the red light!

[MrsK]

and i bet you haven't even bothered to report it as faulty(presumeably),ah well it won't be my licence the points go on if you get caught going through the red light!

I'm not that bothered whether it is working properly or not to be honest. Not my problem.

[bekisman]

"The 'camera' that is at the junction is actually a traffic sensor"
I know there is a traffic sensor at the junct, but way up to the left on exit is a CCTV camera: A99/Bridge Street/High Street*
Over to Spoons again today and noticed that there was an actual Police Officer in the area where the vehicles exit - quite often he stood behind those Caithness slate signs (to keep out of the wind maybe?) but a couple of times he would come out and rebuke drivers who did not have their seat belts on - it seemed the time delay has been returned to normal.. as we left the copper had disappeared, but did watch a Taxi go over the white stop line and wait, but at least he waited for the lights..

*http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3C1139CD-1EE2-4387-A2AF-4BBDDFFB3328/0/cc2907.pdf

[MrsK]

"The 'camera' that is at the junction is actually a traffic sensor"
I know there is a traffic sensor at the junct, but way up to the left on exit is a CCTV camera: A99/Bridge Street/High Street*
Over to Spoons again today and noticed that there was an actual Police Officer in the area where the vehicles exit - quite often he stood behind those Caithness slate signs (to keep out of the wind maybe?) but a couple of times he would come out and rebuke drivers who did not have their seat belts on - it seemed the time delay has been returned to normal.. as we left the copper had disappeared, but did watch a Taxi go over the white stop line and wait, but at least he waited for the lights..

*http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3C1139CD-1EE2-4387-A2AF-4BBDDFFB3328/0/cc2907.pdf

Ah, see what you mean now regarding the CCTV, it's just i've heard people assuming that the sensor is a camera.

Police on foot? Was he lost?;)

[Stack Rock]

Just to clarify a couple of points - 1/ there has been a camera mounted on the corner of DE's building beside the traffic lights higher up for a few years 2/ the cross in the cobbles replaces the old market cross which was in the same spot on the old raodway before the precinct came into being

[MrsK]

....... the cross in the cobbles replaces the old market cross which was in the same spot on the old raodway before the precinct came into being

Well, you learn something every day, never knew that. Must be just coincidence the sensor is pointing at that point

[LMS]

Probably not :confused It is a sad state of affairs :roll:
Spotted the traffic warden the other day who appeared to do little pro-active about the situation. Not sure what powers he has?

I believe the precinct and Bridge Street were chocker this morning. Then about one hour later it was all clear - the traffic warden was walking about with his notepad! Glad to see him back.