TRAFFIC lights could be installed on a busy city roundabout, according to the man in charge of the county’s roads.

Derek Prodger, Worcestershire County Council cabinet member for roads, has said he will look again at lights because drivers are not obeying new road markings aimed at keeping traffic moving.

The county’s engineers recently painted yellow box markings opposite the four Powick island junctions to keep vehicles moving on and off the roundabout but some drivers are ignoring them.

Mr Prodger said: “I think we should reassess the traffic lights option so we can enforce the yellow boxes.

“We did a public survey and motorists told us they did not want lights. It needs strengthening and looking at again.”

The markings were complemented by repainted white lane markings and pedestrian traffic lights for walkers and cyclists travelling between Malvern and Worcester during a £750,000 road refurbishment in the summer.

Your Worcester News readers previously complained that crossing signals that are permanently green in Malvern Road and Hams Way were confusing some motorists but give-way signs have now been installed at the junctions.

The traffic island carries 72,852 vehicle movements a day with drivers travelling to and from Malvern, Lower Wick and Leominster and along the southern link road with the M5 at junction 7.

Gillie Potter, aged 74, of Collett’s Green, has walked along Hams Way every morning for 14 years but said the yellow and white line markings made no difference at all to the congestion.

He said: “When I see the drivers from Hams Way from Leominster queueing at the roundabout they are still having to push out onto the island.”

Mr Potter said drivers are also now cutting through Collett’s Green between Bransford Road and the A449, to avoid Hams Way queues.

Karen Stew runs the sandwich trailer on the nearby layby and has to arrive before jams start at 8am.

She said: “I have hardly any customers before 9am because nobody wants to lose their space in the queues.”

The county council carried out a survey on Tuesday that showed the most traffic was using the A4440 Temeside Way with 24,691 vehicle movements a day and 2,501 during rush hour from 8am to 9am.

The A449 to Malvern was the next busiest with 23,042 movements a day and 2,452 during the morning rush.

The number of vehicles using the A449 to Worcester on the day was 14,869 with 1,617 from 8am to 9am. There were 10,250 vehicle movements to and from the A4440 Hams Way that day including 1,010 at the morning peak.