I HAD cause Thursday morning to travel from Shirley to Bedford Place via Howards Road/Hill Lane. I noticed the traffic lights at the cross-roads were not working. There were no queues, just an odd few cars letting each other pass. 

Normally the queues are dreadful at these crossroads, as they are at most. 
When I came back an hour or so later they were still out of order, with hardly a car in sight. 

They main benefit from this of course is the lack of pollution, the one thing our council blames everyone else for, except themselves. 

Recently the lights were out at the top of Shirley High Street, and by the Civic Centre and Marlands. Again hardly a vehicle in sight.

Does anybody monitor what happens when lights are out of action? Does the council realise that most of them are not needed? Yes we need pedestrian lights, but move them a few yards away from crossroads and junctions.

Les Price

Shirley