TRAFFIC campaigner John Boyce, who last week launched a petition calling for the traffic lights to go, welcomed the suspension of the alternate one-way system and barriers.

He said the move had come under strong pressure from local residents, businesses and drivers - most of whom blamed the lights for congestion and delays.

More than 2,600 have so far signed his petition, which he plans to present to Bradford on Avon Town Council ahead of Tuesday’s full council meeting.

Mr Boyce, 60, who lives off the Winsley Road, said: “Hats off to both councils for listening to people and admitting that the scheme in place has not worked in the way they hoped it would with all the best intentions.

“We now need to look at a positive way forward to rejuvenate the town and allow local businesses to continue their recovery from the losses they incurred during lockdown.

“One suggestion is to have a pedestrian one-way crossing on the Town Bridge, as adopted successfully by other towns in the UK, in conjunction with a one-way traffic system.

"This may be the ideal solution. All we need to do is to install some temporary traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps and a 20mph zone, to stop people speeding.

“I genuinely want the best for the town that I was born in. I have been feeling their pain over the last week, as businesses try to recover from lockdown.

“I have been campaigning for a one-way scheme for five years but this scheme was not working. The traffic lights on the town bridge have rendered it a complete failure.

“Now we have the chance to have a proper trial. Admittedly, there may be a few hiccups but if we put in some traffic calming measures it may work.”

Bradford on Avon traders also welcomed the suspension, saying they could now get back to a new business norm following the Covid-19 lockdown.

At Harlees fish and chip restaurant in Station Place, manager Sian James said: "I am really happy they have moved the lights.

"I hope we can now get back to the new norm. If traffic can pass freely it is going to make a huge difference."

Miss James said they had been losing hundreds of pounds a day because trade had plummeted.

“We’re not talking a little loss of trade. On Friday, we were £800 down on the day’s trade. £500 was another loss this week.

“We cannot sustain these kind of losses in trade and we’re not the only business to be affected by the decisions made with the town bridge.”

At Bradford on Avon Taxis, owner Mike Brigham said: "I am absolutely thrilled. Absolutely over the moon for everyone, particularly the Silver Street traders who have been badly hit.

"Apart from suffering a hit, they have been putting up with awful exhaust fumes and have had to keep their doors and windows closed.

"I think Wiltshire Council have caved in under massive pressure. There was mayhem here.

"The local council absolutely denied there was a problem with emergency service vehicles getting through but we could see it with our own eyes."

Mr Brigham said his taxi firm had suffered a 50 per cent drop in trade during the daytime because he could not guarantee to get customers to their destinations on time.

"We could not get people to the doctors, the Leg Club and the railway station.

"Many of our customers are older people from Abbey Mills and Rope Walk. They can't get to Sainsbury's or Cedar Court except by taxi."

There was growing evidence that businesses were suffering a drop in trade because of lower footfall and people shopping elsewhere.

A ‘shop to let’ sign emerged in the window of D & K Cobblers, which has traded from a small shop in Silver Street for around 15 years.

Even the town’s Sainsbury’s supermarket had experienced a drop in custom, with many shoppers on the north side of Bradford on Avon shopping elsewhere.

Some said they had started using other supermarket stores in Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge because they were easier and quicker to get to.

One shopper, Ally Fox, said: “Very pleasant 11-minute drive home from Melksham Sainsbury’s. £300 less spent in Bradford on Avon.”

Some staff at Sainsbury’s said on Saturday that their overtime hours had been cut because fewer customers were coming into the store.

Rosie Tomlin said: “If everyone on the north side of town decides to do the same as Ally and shop elsewhere that’s quite a significant amount of money Sainsburys in BoA is losing.”

“If that then means they decide to close the store so many local people will then lose their jobs. It’s not a slanging match of ‘well you should shop and support local’ because the people that work in the store are local and should also be considered.”

At The Bridge Tea Rooms, twice voted the UK’s top tea room by the UK Tea Council, owners Roy and Alison Hayward, said their daily takings were down.

Mr Hayward added: “We’ve definitely suffered a drop in our morning trade. The town seems quite deserted. People are not coming into town until after lunchtime.

“We’ve had customers ringing us up saying they are stuck in traffic and they’re going to be late, and asking us to hold their table for them.”

Mr Hayward said one member of staff had left to take up another job but wouldn’t be replaced because of the drop-off in trade.

There was a similar reaction from many other retailers in the Silver Street area, where traffic congestion and exhaust fumes were driving customers away.

Monique Vanhuizen, 58, manager at Heather’s womenswear; Bobby Morady, 45, owner of BoA Teapot Cafe, and Victor Mestre, 44, of Bread & Butter sandwich bar, all said footfall and takings had dropped since the social distancing scheme had been introduced.

Mr Morady said: “99 per cent of the businesses are not at all happy about the scheme.”