I know I’m not the only one tearing my hair out over Wokingham’s traffic problems at the moment.

First, we have the modifications to Station Road & Shute End that are long over-running. The junction on the Oxford Road has been partially closed and the police are issuing tickets. The knock on effect is that frustrated car drivers are diving through the housing estates so they can avoid the area. Of course, this is causing new problems elsewhere.

Secondly we have the traffic light replacement work at the Showcase/Loddon Bridge roundabout. This appears to be being done at the busiest time of year for traffic! It is better now the lights have been actually turned off, but only after several failures and at least three accidents. But still, the traffic is queued up to down Lower Earley Way and down the M4 in the evenings, so much more than normal.

At the same time, work has been scheduled for the only other exit Wokingham has on to the motorway, at the Coppid Beech roundabout. With both major highway intersections in and out of the town having scheduled work at the same time, it seems to be extremely badly thought out…if thought about at all…..I wonder who at Wokingham Borough Council is co-ordinating this work?

In Wokingham we depend on our cars. For many areas, our public transport infrastructure is poor and doesn’t go where we need it to. So, our only realistic option is to drive. I feel that it has been the result of years of excessive house building, poor transport planning.

We need to begin to putting it right.