Stuck in a traffic jam

Torbay Council has erected variable message signage, one of which is located on the eastbound carriageway of Hellevoetsluis Way on the approach to the Gallows Gate roundabout and Hamelin Way. This was presumably erected to help the authority discharge its duties under the Traffic Management Act 2004 which introduces Network Management duty on Local Traffic Authorities. I have written to the council as follows:-

Could you please explain to me why today at 11am this sign was not warning me of the considerable amount of queueing traffic on Hamelin Way on the approach to the junction of Riviera Way and the A380 into Kingskerswell. Had I been informed, I could have turned off at Gallows Gate and found an alternative route that avoided this long queue and saved me from wasting petrol and time and from causing pollution while sitting in this queue. This is not the first time this sign has failed to warn of the queueing traffic on Hamelin Way, it just has some totally useless unhelpful message.

I have suggested that they are failing in their duties by not using this sign to warn motorists when the queueing traffic in Hamelin Way stretches back almost to the Moles Lane bridge, as it was this morning.

I have quoted the following sections of the Act to them and am now awaiting their reply:-

Section 16 of the TMA sets out the requirement of the new duty as being:
"It is the duty of a local traffic authority to manage their road network with a view to achieving, so far as it is reasonably practicable having regard to their other obligations, policies and objectives, the following objectives:

1. securing the expeditious movement of traffic on the authority's road network; and

2. facilitating the expeditious movement of traffic on road networks for which another authority is the traffic authority

Two paragraphs of this act are applicable to my complaint

8.3 The Traffic Manager will ensure that in those locations subject to regular traffic congestion, traffic management measures in the form of on carriageway lining, direction and information signing, junction signalisation and regulatory measures are current, clearly defined and fully operational

8.6 It will be the duty of the Traffic Manager to inform road users in advance, through the deployment of, for example, strategically placed Variable Message Signing (VMS) of the potential for increased traffic congestion on key links on the Torbay Route network

I am not amused when the roadside sign tells me either

Not to drink and Drive, or

to Watch out for Bikers in my mirrors?, or

Not to drive when tired, or

Not to use my mobile phone when driving

When all I want is for them to tell me that if I dont turn round I will get stuck in a horrendous traffic queue that I can easily avoid by turning off at the Gallows Gate Roundabout.