I'm actually SO frustrated at the moment. I have just spent THIRTEEN! (yes thirteen exactly because I have a clock on my scooter) Minutes stuck at the Robin Hood roundabout coming from Shaw Rd because of these stupid sensored traffic lights.
I can understand why councils use them but why can they not adjust them to make them accept motorbikes and scooters? Even bicycles!? I had the choice of either going through a red or reversing up a road you really shouldn't be reversing up! If a car had not come when it had I don't know what I would have done.
Anybody know what you are supposed to do if you get stuck at these sensors? I positioned my scooter over where it looked like the wires were to no avail.

I am so annoyed by this because there are a few roads I cannot use around the Newbury area already because of these lights and as this is one I take regularly I do not wish to be stuck waiting until a car comes!

What am I to do?
Has anyone else had this problem?

Bug*ered if I'd wait 13 mins. at traffic lights which are obviously faulty!

(By the way, bicycles don't take any notice of traffic lights.)

Send a formal letter of complaint to West Berks. Highways Department and keep on until the problem is put right.

You beat me to it.... and the original post is a good reason why we don't. They were designed for cars... not bikes.

So a very good reason for changing the design. There are other ways of 'sensing' traffic - which doesn't involve weight! We are supposed to be promoting cycling! Like many things, poor design right from the start, ripe for standard excuses 1 and 2 'we've always done it this way' or 'how dare you question us experts'

Nor do modern traffic sensors, as far as I know. Perhaps the scooter rider should carry a large electromagnet with him, or more simply, just get off and push it through the lights.

Hmm I don't think getting off my Scooter and pushing it through the lights at the Robin Hood would be in anyway safer than if I just drove through them, other than to preserve my points should I be caught running a red.

I went a different way today and found that the lights, again at the Robin Hood, from Thatcham way are also sensored! Thankfully a car came after a few minutes but it was long enough for me to realsie my scoot doesn't trigger these ones either.

I will certainly write to the council about this and keep on, possibly ask for a road tax refund as these kind of things are what it is used for Maybe I'll get them to provide me with a magnet to trigger the sensors.


Honestly still annoyed about this. I am a road user, I pay my taxes and should be able to use a public road such as this one with no hassle.

How much is Vehicle Excise Duty on a scooter?

Hmm by VED I assume you mean tax? It is only £16 for a year but that will cover my use of the roads in relation to the size of my vehicle.

Read the Highway Code lately then?

Modern traffic lights have metal wire loop sensors in the road surface that detect any thing metal waiting at the light - lorries, cars, motorcycles, scooters, push bikes etc.
That is, unless they are faulty!

Ah so they are more than likely faulty?
They just need to be a bit more sensitive I think. You can get magnets all over the net to help you get over these lights but I seriously don't think I should need to get one!
More on principle than anything else because they aren't expensive.

No I don't mean tax, I mean Vehicle Excise Duty.

That's a tenth of how much I pay for my vehicle. Do you use traffic lights ten times less than a car?

As you already know, VED is also know colloquially as Road Tax. We are not charged on usage and I see your argument as meaningless. He has allegedly paid his dues, he should be entitled to use the road as anyone else who has paid.

Hold on a second Mr Aggresive. I pay tax in relation to my vehicle, traffic lights are part of what the tax is used for
(I assume, it could actually be under council tax and if this is so then that is in relation to where you live rather than how much you use the things council tax pays for...such as people pay the highest council tax if they live in the centre of town but if some goes on things like roundabouts and traffic lights these people surely should pay less if they walkthe five minutes to the shops instead of taking their cars around the corner as this lazy society will so easily do.)
But for things like damage to roads from cars, congestion, pollution and I'm sure many others, you SHOULD pay more than scooters!


P.S. just to set the record straight everyone; I am a lady, not a fella.

All I'm saying is they will have contribute around a tenth of what a car user did to the installation and upkeep of those traffic lights.

I pay my car tax as well that is why I wait at the lights.... bike I pay no tax so I don't bother.


I

VED/Vehicle Tax is just tax, it is not ringfenced to be spent on the highways.

That's not his fault and shouldn't deny him access in my view.

Yes. When I'm on a bike: screw the lights; they don't exist.

HER fault fellas! HER

:-)

Brilliant logic GMR!

Of course!

What lights?

So I take it that when you cyclists who ignore the law and take it into your own hands get hit by a law abiding road user who has gone through a green light you will just take it in your stride (if you still can!)

This kind of attitude is what gives cyclists a bad name. The only time I do not obey the road rules is on the bloody St Johns roundabouts, the amount of times cars have nearly gone into me when I'm on my bike following the designated cyclepaths is frightening! Other than that I am a very good cyclist when the roads are concerned.

If I had to follow all the traffic signals, I wouldn't bother cycling. My will to survive will protect me from doing anything dangerous.

Not if I am dead i won't.

What 'attitude' and what 'cyclists'? I have never seen a cyclist obey the lights 100%, and that includes cops on bikes. Every cop I see on a bike has driven through a red light. Saying that... if I am at a traffic light and I need to go straight across then I have no choice other than to obey.... but if I am turning left it makes no difference to the traffic.



As for cycle paths; they are dangerous and you should never mix pedestrians with cyclists. More so if the said cyclist is cycling fast. Cycle lanes are better and designed for just cyclists.



St John's roundabout is a death trap. The amount of times I've been cut off by a car.

I second that.

I have only one thing to say to cyclists who ignore the law and the rules of the Highway Code by doing their own thing.................... YOU'RE A BLOODY MENACE!!

Drama queen.

The menace of cyclists is NOTHING compared to the menace of motorists and motorcyclists.

That is very original

I agree; by the way... I've got a license for both

Drama KING please if you must!

Touché!

Well if you refuse to obey the rules of the road and all signals then you can expect to be mown down. I find trail bikes make a particularly satisfying crunch under tyre.

So, if I am driving across a lit junction and you come riding out from my left through a red light in front of me, you don't mind if I squash you?


St John's roundabout is an accident waiting to happen, if it hasn't already. Whoever thought that up needs a brain implant.

I feel your pain. I cycle to the station every day (and yes, I DO stop at traffic lights).

The lights at the junction with Hambridge Road/A4/Fir Tree Lane don't recognise my bike either. I regularly have to cross at the pedestrian lights instead.

Why?

Because it is a big waste of money?

The traffic light system in Newbury is a curse. The amount of waiting in a car at a red while no traffic comes from anywhere is common-place.

Here we go again, i drive both so does that make me a double menace ! I think the biggest menace of all is the White Van Driver . Hang on, i drive one of those as well, Bugger .

Paraphrasing a famous Welsh singer: you are not unusual.

If you are lucky... be my guest... others have tried, and all have failed. What makes you think you will be any different?

it is a waste of money and dangerous. Even the police have told me to stay clear of it. They won't even use it.

Why? Because.

It should be obvious to anyone that painting a green lane right round the outside of a roundabout is asking for trouble. It's a crazy layout. But we've had this "discussion" before.

Exactly... more so when drivers don't understand that cyclists have a right of way and thus cut you up. Somebody is going to get killed one day on that roundabout.

Yes but we know who's fault it won't be that's for sure!

Well, it won't be mine as I am a good cyclist.

Are you suggesting cyclists should not follow the green lines then? What in your opinion is ther best way for a cyclist to cycle around a roundabout?