THE number of motorists who have signed a petition calling for the Prime Minister to remove a controversial set of traffic lights has doubled in just a week.

A total number of 282 signatures have now been added to the online petition calling for the new lights installed on the westbound exit slip road of the M27 at junction three to be taken away.

Since the lights were installed in March they have caused lengthy tailbacks for motorists who want to join the M271 towards Southampton.

They have replaced a filter lane that previously allowed drivers to pass through the M27/M271 junction uninterrupted.

Every day more motorists are signing the online petition as they continue to face motorway misery during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

Some desperate drivers have even taken to using the Rownhams services as a fourth lane to cut out about a mile and a half of stationary traffic.

The Highways Agency, responsible for introducing the lights, insists that surveys carried out at the junction showed congestion in the area and that the new lights would improve the traffic flow.

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