Local Volunteers Step Up in Traffic Light Fiasco

Highgate High Street has recently experienced traffic disruption due to ongoing work by UK Power Networks. As part of this work, temporary traffic lights operated by tbf Traffic were installed to control the flow of northbound and southbound traffic. All appeared to be running smoothly until the evening of Wednesday 18 September when chaos erupted.

In the early evening, both traffic lights became stuck on red, causing traffic gridlock. In a remarkable display of community spirit, residents and Highgate Society volunteers Jane Hill, Helen and Allan Rapley, Taha Gulamhusein and Derek Proops sprang into action. For two hours the team directed traffic to keep the High Street moving. Frustrated drivers showed their appreciation with thumbs-up as they passed by. A technician eventually arrived to recode the traffic lights.

Astonishingly this was not the end of the story. Two days later, on the Friday evening, the traffic lights failed once more. This time, the northbound light stayed on red, while the southbound light remained green, leading to a massive tailback stretching down Highgate Hill. Yet again, the volunteers stepped in, donning their high-visibility jackets, and taking charge of the traffic management. This coincided with a power cut on the east side of the High Street, which affected the street lights, making the work more hazardous. Touchingly, UK Power Networks kindly offered to pay for a fish and chip supper for the volunteers.

UK Power Networks were contacted for comment and a spokesperson responded: “Engineers have been working on Highgate High Street on essential works for a customer in the area. The works have been approved by the local authority and were timed to cause minimum inconvenience. We are sorry for the problems described and thank the volunteers who stepped in on site.”

The episode serves as a reminder of the power of community action, but also of the need for reliable infrastructure management. Where public safety is concerned, traffic management should be fit for purpose. The community spirit was commendable, but volunteers should not be left to find solutions where critical infrastructure fails.

Photo: Volunteers Helen Rapley and Taha Gulamhusein

27 September 2024