MOTORISTS and business owners say they are being driven crazy by Weymouth’s new traffic system which they claim are making queues ‘worse than ever.’

They say that the new traffic lights, which replaced roundabouts, have resulted in gridlock for vehicles attempting to journey into Weymouth town centre, particularly down the Boot Hill corridor from Wyke and Portland.

Dorset County Council says it is investigating why there were ‘unusually long delays’ on one particular day but motorists say the queues are building up every day.

The long queues have led to one exasperated driver displaying a notice in his car calling for roundabouts to be reinstated in the resort.

Meanwhile Kevin Turnbull, of Weymouth, is among the drivers whose lives are being made a misery by the queues.

Mr Turnbull drives down Rodwell Road and Boot Hill to the town centre to give his wife a lift to work three times a week.

He said that most recently he left home in Clearmount Road at 8.25am and reached Asda at the bottom of the hill at 9.05am, making his wife late for work.

Retired Mr Turnbull said: “This is not a one off, it is happening every morning and every evening and the cause is the lights outside the Rodwell Inn, coupled with the fact that there is no left turn into Wyke Road nor further down Chickerell Road.

“It’s a pain in the backside. It’s the amount of time it takes to get to Asda.

“I’ve sat there and the lights have changed and I haven’t moved. The bus lane that even some buses do not use helps to hold up any traffic intending to turn right down Rodwell Avenue and hinders emergency vehicles having to come through up Rodwell Road.

“What they need to do is put a pelican crossing where the Rodwell Inn is and put the roundabout back.”

Rodwell Road residents say the traffic lights are making their lives a misery.

Mum Jeanette A’Court said: “It’s so congested between 4pm and 6pm, there’s a constant drone of traffic in the lounge of an evening and you cannot open the windows.

“I dread to think what it’s going to be like in the summer.”

Shelly Stevens said she was recently in a near miss with a car that attempted to turn around on her driveway because the traffic was so bad.

She said: “Since the traffic lights were put in, it’s horrendous out there.

“Someone reversed into my legs. It used to only be bad at teatime and now it’s all the time and especially in the morning.”

The mum-of-two added that she takes a ‘short-cut’ through Cross Road, Wyke Road, Faircross Avenue, Everest Road, Chickerell Road and Marsh Road to access Asda because it cuts down on the journey time.

Guesthouse owners also say they are fed up with the congestion.

Robbie Feltham, proprietor of the Kingswood Guest House in Rodwell Road, said his business has been drastically affected.

He said: “My whole winter trade was totally destroyed. Without a shadow of a doubt, passing trade has dropped off dramatically. Everyone thinks Weymouth has gone mad.”

Bridget Boudier, owner of Trelawney in Old Castle Road, said: “I think it’s a total mess. All the residents are using Cross Road to get anywhere.”

Sailor Thomas Zajac, a member of the Austrian national team, has returned to Weymouth to train for the Sail for Gold regatta and thinks the traffic situation has worsened.

“The traffic lights are worse than the roundabout was,” he said.

“At the moment it’s worse but hopefully the infrastructure will be better in the long run after the Olympics.”