Vehicles turn into St Augustines Road, Wisbech which is a no entry.

MOTORISTS are causing chaos in Wisbech by driving the wrong way up a one-way system – just days after it was introduced.

Vehicles turn into St Augustines Road, Wisbech which is a no entry.

Photographer Brian Purdy caught FOURTEEN drivers driving past a no entry sign and up St Augustines Road in less than TWENTY-THREE minutes.

Nearby resident Marian Hartigan, who has lived in Park Avenue for more than 26 years, said the changes have caused “bedlam”. The new one-way system was only introduced 11 days ago.

Marian Hartigan, whose road has also become a one-way street, said: “I’m sure people will be concerned when they realise what they’ve been doing. I just hope they’ve made mistakes and not done it on purpose.”

“What more can you do than placing giant red signs on the road?

“It’s as if people are driving on auto-pilot and aren’t reading the signs. Surely people know their Highway Code? It’s causing bedlam and there could be an accident soon.

“I’m sure people will be concerned when they realise what they’ve been doing. I just hope they’ve made mistakes and not done it on purpose. That would be ignorant.”

Drivers can now only travel one way down Park Avenue, from Lynn Road towards Henry Street. From Henry Street, motorists can either turn right to access St Augustine’s Road and head back to Lynn Road, or turn left for the hospital and Churchill Road.

Cambridgeshire County Council and Fenland’s Traffic Management Area Joint Committee spent £7,000 on the changes. The one-way system was funded by Wisbech Town Council’s decision to scrap a speed reduction scheme in Bowthorpe Road.

Samantha Hoy, a town councillor, said plans were not opposed due to the installation of traffic lights at the junction of De Havilland Road.

Cllr Hoy said: “We didn’t want St Augustines Road to become a rat run as it’s a narrow street.

“Cars are parked on both sides so a one-way system should make it safer – especially with ambulances coming down St Augustines Road.

“Drivers should obey the signs and I hope people are turning off out of habit. If it’s still going on after a few weeks I’d like to hope police will enforce punishment.”