Lib Dems condemn incompetent Labour over gridlock chaos

3.05.25pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 15th Dec 2006

Gridlock in Sheffield

One broken-down vehicle brought Sheffield to a grinding halt for almost three hours during last night's rush hour - causing tailbacks that stretched for miles. Just before, 5pm a Landrover and trailer blocked a lane in Nursery Street, near the Wicker, and within minutes, bumper-to-bumper traffic backed up Corporation Street, Brook Hill, and around Hanover Way, through to Park Square. Within half and hour the city centre was totally gridlocked and every office and shop worker trying to head home was stuck in a traffic jam.

Only last year a solitary broken-down bus brought Sheffield city centre to a complete standstill for four hours. Again, the breakdown happened on Nursery Street off the Wicker.

And before 5pm, every major road around the city centre was bumper-to-bumper with queuing traffic. Journeys across the city centre took up to two hours, and motorists heading into the city from the M1 to get home were also caught up in the chaos.

Liberal Democrats believe that Sheffield's transport network is not fit for purpose. They are demanding a comprehensive review of the entire network with the aim of removing bottlenecks and freeing up traffic.