Gas company apologises after temporary traffic lights cause mayhem
Gas company Cadent has apologised after temporary traffic lights mistakenly installed on a stretch of road without permission caused mayhem for residents.
Drivers faced 'chaotic' traffic after the lights were installed on Gospel End Road in Sedgley on Wednesday evening, causing tailbacks as far as Wombourne.
The lights were installed by Cadent, which is carrying out gas mains work in the area, who have since apologised for the issue.
A spokesman for Cadent said: "This was our error, absolutely.
"Our teams are upgrading gas mains in the local area, replacing old metallic pipes with new plastic ones - and our traffic management just wasn’t set up as it should be.
"We are so sorry to everyone impacted by this mistake."
Cadent operates the largest gas distribution network in the UK, providing gas to 11 million homes and businesses.
Dudley Council said that while some lights were permitted for the work, permission was not granted for the stretch of road where they were erected.
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for public realm, said: "We were made aware of significant traffic delays around Gospel End in Sedgley and have been in contact with Cadent, which is carrying out permitted critical gas mains works in the area.
"A set of temporary traffic lights, which breached the permit conditions, have been removed.
"People should expect some delays due to ongoing works but traffic flow is now much improved."
Motorists were left fed up with the delays caused by the work.
One described the scene as "absolute chaos", while another said there was "traffic chaos for no apparent reason".
