DRIVERS have hit out over a new traffic light controlled crossing down one of Worcester's most congested roads - just 90 metres from the next one.

Worcestershire County Council has installed this crossing down City Walls Road directly outside The Fownes Hotel.

We can reveal how the northbound speed camera down the busy route has now been switched off, with council chiefs saying it is not needed with the £15,000 crossing in place.

But it has led to people questioning the need for a new crossing when there is another one a few steps up the road.

Councillor Simon Cronin, who sits on the city council, said: "We're cutting money from health, education, we're sending soldiers into war zones without proper equipment yet we're wasting money on things like this.

"There's another crossing only 90 metres up the road - in situations like this the county council should be brave enough, and responsible enough to say to the Government 'here's your money back'.

"If you come out of Carden Street your view is obscured slightly - cars go down City Walls Road at 30mph yet as soon as you push your nose out and put your foot on it just to get out of Carden Street, you hit this pedestrian crossing.

"I dread to think how long it'll be before someone is hit."

On social networking site Facebook Worcester News readers have also left comments criticising it, saying they are "baffled".

Rob Burrow wrote: "What's wrong with the good old zebra crossing where you only have to stop when someone is about to cross?

"There's nothing more annoying than someone pressing the button to stop the traffic just because they could."

Eddie Charko posted: "Another crossing, another set of lights, Worcester has more lights than Blackpool."

The county council said the crossing was funded by the Department for Transport as part of a package of Worcestershire investments.

A spokesman said as the main cycle route from the Fort Royal area into the city, there have been "a number of near misses" along the route.

The authority also says it believes too many people ignore the pedestrian crossings at Sidbury and Nash's passage, the one around 90 metres away, to take their chances over the busy dual carriageway.

Longer term, County Hall's highways officers want City Walls Road to become part of a larger cycle route from Redhill to the city centre, as an alternative to London Road.

Councillor John Smith, the cabinet member for highways said: "This crossing was clearly badly needed.

"Highways officers have been amazed and pleasantly surprised at how well used it has been since it went in.

"It is certainly a lot safer than the steady stream of people chancing their luck, which had been commonplace before.

"This has also provided the opportunity to permanently remove the northbound fixed speed camera."