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Traffic chaos hits town - Copheap Lane clogged
(January 30, 2009)It's 3.15pm on a relatively quiet Friday afternoon but within ten minutes in the rural town of Warminster a major threat to life and limb has exploded onto the scene.
All of a sudden scores upon scores of motorists and hundreds of schoolchildren, toddlers and parents with pushchairs are all competing with each other to hurry about their business writes Paul Macdonald.
In previously unknown and almost chaotic scenes in Copheap Lane, Imber Road and Fairfield Road cars doing three point turns, schoolchildren running from between queueing cars, kids on bikes weaving in and out, and a lone dog off its lead seem a recipe for disaster.
The line of cars, vans and trucks trying to get out on to the Westbury Road stretches all the along Copheap Lane past the Dolls House and The Downlands almost reaching the Imber Road Junction.
In the other direction the traffic is only flowing slightly better and up the Imber Road towards the army camp the queue is as far as the eye can see.
In every direction it looks like a bad day in a major city with an occasional coach driver being considerate waving at drivers to pull out to get the traffic moving.
It is no better in the town centre but a lot safer as it is a lot wider and there are plenty of places to cross with good visibility.
The one-way system in the town centre caused by the pavement widening has led to a traffic management problem.
Should the authorities take a look for themselves before someone comes a cropper?