Transport supremo backs radical road plan (From Bucks Free Press)

Transport supremo backs radical road plan

6:30pm Thursday 18th September 2008 in Politics By James Nadal

A RADICAL experiment to revolutionise driving by scrapping street signs and traffic lights has been supported by transport supremo Val Letheren.

Cllr Letheren, cabinet member for transport at Buckinghamshire County Council, said she would be “interested to have talks” after Wycombe District Council chairman Roger Wilson proposed the idea of 'naked streets' in Marlow.

As revealed on Bucksfreepress.co.uk this week, Cllr Wilson put forward the idea which aims to make drivers think for themselves, at a Marlow Town Council meeting.

It has been trialled in Kensington High Street in London and Bohmte, a town in Germany.

He highlighted the research of author Tom Vanderbilt in his book: 'Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do'.

Mr Vanderbilt's work was influenced by late Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman, who believed that most road signs were unnecessary and redesigned a town based on his ideas.

Cllr Wilson said: “I hope we can use Marlow as an experiment. Hopefully it would be a success and we could extend it through the county. We can make it work.

“I would have it all the way throughout the town. We would try to remove every sign going. “ “Within the law of the land, I'm quite happy to do away with the traffic lights.

"If we are doing it experimentally we would leave them where they are at the moment and just switch them off. I don't think there would be any chaos.”

The proposal comes in the same week that Transport Minister Rosie Winterton announced the biggest review of British road signs for 40 years.

Cllr Letheren said: “Generally I support it, I don't like cluttered streets. I have met the man involved in the Kensington experiment.

“It wasn't always easy there, it's got its down sides but we would be interested to have talks with them. It is a good idea but it has to be looked at carefully.”

Cllr Wilson said: “The accident rate was reduced substantially where the trials have taken place because people are no longer on automatic pilot.”

Despite around 13,000 vehicles navigating the roads in Bohmte, Germany, there have been no accidents since the trial began in July.