Traffic lights campaigner welcomes Bristol switch-off

A campaigner who helped bring about the switch-off of traffic lights at Portishead Cabstand has welcomed the news that Bristol will have a switch-off of its own.

Martin Cassini is a producer who has been fighting against traffic lights for the last decade.

His work has also influenced the trial switch-off being carried out by Westminster Council and he backed the Evening Post Put That Light Campaign.

He has welcomed the announcement from Bristol City Council last week, which said the authority would look at locations where lights could be switched off, ahead of a two to six week trial.

Mr Cassini, 62 of London, said: "Over the past decade I have combined a critique of our traffic control system with proposals for change based on a trust in human nature rather than an obsession with controlling it.

"Since 2000, when I saw the light about traffic lights, I've pitched to TV, written articles, lobbied Parliament and councils, made a film, presented a Newsnight report and started a campaign called FiT Roads, which incorporates the idea of filter-in-turn.

"In 2007, I urged Bristol's director of transport David Bishop to back a lights-off trial to show we could be better off left largely to our own devices.

"Meetings with traffic managers followed but nothing materialised.

"Since the Bristol Evening Post got behind the campaign, Bristol is being spurred into overdue action.

"Again thanks to the Post, I'm in contact with Jon Rogers, who 'gets' the ideas. Things are moving."

We want to know what you think. If you could remove one set of traffic lights in Bristol, what would they be?