A nightmare for pedestrians in the heart of Bradford is due to end when a new traffic system swings into place next week.

New traffic signals at the junction of Broadway and Bridge Street will be switched on on Tuesday, heralding the start of a one-way scheme.

The scheme aims to keep traffic moving smoothly round the shopping area and improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.

But the roadworks in the Bank Street area in the interim have created a huge obstacle course for pedestrians, who also had to get over the busy road at Hall Ings without the usual signal-controlled crossing.

And taxi drivers today hit out at Bradford Council and claimed the arrangements while the work had been carried out had been disastrous. They said Bank Street had been chaotic and they had been in the firing line from passengers for charging higher fares because of the detours they had to take.

Ghulam Sarwar said: "Bradford Council are useless. It's been terrible."

Pedestrian Zahra Alawani, of Heaton, said it had been very difficult and paths through the building site should have been better.

But Eric Bastow, 65, of Allerton, said: "I am very pleased that this scheme will help the pedestrians in the end."

The final layout means:

l Broadway is now a one-way street running towards City Hall and Bank Street is one-way, running from its junction with Hall Ings towards Market Street.

l Motorists leaving Broadway can turn right into Bridge Street and go on to Sunbridge Road. The alternative is to go straight forward on to the Norfolk Gardens link behind City Hall to get access to Hall Ings or Thornton Road.

The short length of Bridge Street between Broadway and Hall Ings will continue to be "buses only".

The improvements are part of a £350,000 scheme to make the city centre safer for pedestrians and ease pollution.

A post office spokesman said the Bank Street office had been affected during the first few days of the disruption. But she added that people were now pleased that there would be improvements for pedestrians.

Past president of Bradford Chamber of Trade Mary Frame said: "People have had a lot of difficulty getting into the city and I think the new system will work. I hope it will bring people back to the city for the Christmas trade."

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