Reviled traffic lights in the centre of Perthshire’s biggest town will stay off for good following a successful road safety experiment.
Perth and Kinross Council took the dramatic step of pulling the switch on signals at the Wellmeadow in Blairgowrie in an effort to end years of congestion misery.
A 20mph limit was put in place, while drivers and pedestrians were asked to use their wits and common sense alone to get them around safely.
The local authority has now confirmed the lights will stay out after an overwhelmingly positive response to the fortnight-long pilot scheme.
A council spokeswoman said: “During the two-week trial switch-off, our roads team recorded vehicle speeds and monitored travel patterns in the town in partnership with the local community council.”
She added: “No significant traffic management or road safety issues have arisen to date. Public consultation has revealed widespread support for the new traffic arrangement and the lower speed limit.
“As a result, the traffic signals will remain switched off and the temporary junction layouts and crossing facilities will remain in place until the council has an opportunity to formalise these measures.”
The announcement is music to the ears of the town’s community council, which has fought hard to have the lights removed.
“It’s such a huge sigh of relief,” said chairwoman Morag Young. “We are absolutely delighted that they aren’t going to be switched back on and we would like to thank all the drivers for supporting the move and slowing down when driving through the centre.
“One of the council officers told me he had never seen such courteous drivers.”
She said: “This is going to make such a big difference, not only for the people who live and travel through Blairgowrie, but the businesses in and around the centre.”
At the beginning of the experiment, the council said it would shut down the trial if any safety issues came to light.
Within hours of the switch-off, there was a minor collision between a red Citreon car and a white Mercedes van, but otherwise the experiment has been largely trouble free.
Local councillor Bob Ellis, who campaigned against the lights for several years, said the switch-off had been a long time coming.
“Drivers would be waiting at the lights for five minutes or even longer,” he said. “You would regularly see a line of cars all the way to Rattray (the neighbouring town), about three-quarters of a mile long.”