The Courier: Swallow Roundabout chaos was preventable

The Courier

26-04-2025

New traffic lights installed at the Swallow Roundabout in Dundee have prompted hundreds of complaints from fed-up motorists.
But as The Courier revealed previously, concerns about this were first raised more than a decade ago when the idea emerged.
They included worries the already-congested roundabout, near Invergowrie, could be worsened by potential sign clutter and driver confusion.
Dundee taxi driver Willie Lees said at the time he 'couldn't see' how it would work.
It is now clear those warnings showed remarkable foresight. The problems it predicted have come to pass and then some. The chaos could – and should – have been prevented.
But developer Springfield, which has previously failed to answer questions posed by The Courier, went ahead with alterations to the junction near Invergowrie in a bid to ease potential congestion caused by the construction of 700 new homes at Dykes of Gray.
In fairness to Springfield, it was simply following the planning application signed off by the local authority and Transport Scotland.
Many have now complained about the 'outrageous' delays in the weeks since the traffic lights were turned on. One driver said their commute time had been doubled.
Another said: 'It's crazy sitting behind red lights with no traffic in front of you or coming round from the right and you can't go because lights are red.
'There are times I counted when 20-50 vehicles could get through if there were no lights.'
Their anger is justified, as is the frustration of Carse of Gowrie councillor Angus Forbes.
Mr Forbes summed it up, saying: 'My constituents are coming to me looking for a solution but I can't even give them an explanation, never mind a solution, and as a councillor, that's not a good place to be.'
Transport Scotland, the government agency which is said to have approved the changes, must explain why it did not listen to the clear warnings.
It must also set out how it will rectify the problem as a matter of urgency.
The issue will now reach the desk of the Scottish Government's transport chief Fiona Hyslop.
She should call those responsible for the problems to task.
Scotland's housing crisis demands the building of new homes but communities are often fearful that new developments will lead to disruption.
Whether it's on the road or concerns about a lack of local infrastructure to cope with any population boom, those fears are genuine.
Refusing to listen to those who know the area best does nothing to encourage locals to accept housebuilding projects.
At best it sets acceptance of new housebuilding back, at worst it pits community against community.