Frozen pedestrian crossing buttons are causing traffic delays across Greater Manchester as residents seek quick fixes like hot water and de-icer
Greater Manchester: It’s a chilly morning in Greater Manchester, and guess what? The pedestrian crossing buttons are frozen again! This has led to some serious traffic jams as drivers are stuck waiting for lights that just won’t change.
The Bee Network even put out a warning saying that ice is messing with traffic signals, making them turn red more often. It’s a bit of a mess out there, and folks are getting frustrated.
Today, temperatures dropped to around -3C, and it looks like we won’t see anything above freezing until Saturday. It’s been a rough winter, and the UK just recorded its coldest January night in 15 years. Can you believe it? In Altnaharra, it hit a bone-chilling -14.5C!
People are getting creative, though. Some residents have been spotted using de-icer and even hot water bottles to thaw out those stubborn buttons. It’s a bit of a DIY fix, but desperate times call for desperate measures, right?
In Middleton, during rush hour, the situation was pretty bad. One resident mentioned that the button was frozen again, causing traffic to back up on both sides. It’s frustrating when you just want to cross the street!
Transport for Greater Manchester is aware of the issue and says it’s not just a local problem. It’s happening all over the country. In Kent, they’ve sent engineers out to tackle the frozen buttons, too. They’re working hard to get things back to normal.
Peter Boulton from TfGM mentioned that the freezing weather and wet conditions are to blame. He assured everyone that the buttons would eventually thaw out, but in the meantime, it’s causing a lot of delays. Let’s hope the weather warms up soon!
