There has been work done over last week on Deansgate in Manchester (UK) near Peter St after a set of traffic lights. For some reason, they are reducing the number of lanes from 2 to 1. 

At the traffic lights, it used to have 2 lanes. Both lanes were for going straight ahead (as well as one lane turning left, the other turning right). Now the left lane is only to turn left, the right hand continues to be for turning right and go straight ahead.

If someone wants to go straight ahead and someone is waiting at lights to turn right, they are blocked!! They can go on to the left lane which is for left turn only and this increases the chance of accidents and causing traffic problems. What its going to result in is traffic backing up Deansgate towards the Hilton Hotel.

Personally I think they are just doing this to create more traffic jams and traffic problems. It was a while ago that they were talking about the congestion charge in Manchester city centre. They were claiming big traffic jams were in the city centre - which they wasn't really.

To add to this, I have just read today that they are planning to close the "entrance" to Deansgate (Victoria Street) which is by the cathedral and near Harvey Nichols. The plan is to make it pedestrian only. This will just re-direct drivers elsewhere, making them busy. 

Another way to create traffic jams so you can prove we need congestion charge!?

All this after last year and you introducing the extended parking charges. Vast majority of people didn't agree with it. Shoppers would take custom elsewhere and go to e.g. Trafford Centre.