Waipa District Council and the Cambridge Community Board agreed on a roundabout because it would cause less delays and support better traffic flow.

Has it though?

At certain times of day it is not uncommon for Cambridge-bound traffic on Victoria Street to be backed up as far as King, or even Taylor Street.

Somebody caught up in that lot for the first time could be forgiven for wondering what on earth the hold up could be, as they inch along at a snail's pace. It's only when you come within view of the intersection from Thornton Road on the left, that the problem becomes clear. For some reason, many drivers on Victoria Street feel the need to give way to the traffic coming in from Thornton Road, magnanimously waving them into the flow, even though there are usually only a few cars on Thornton Road, who have waited nowhere near as long as their Victoria Street counterparts. You might think this would be frustrating for the drivers who have to wait while the people in front of them bank wadges of Karma by allowing two, three, four, or more grateful interlopers in front of them at once. But no. No sooner has the benevolent do-gooder finally decided to advance apologetically towards the roundabout himself, than someone else takes up the role of self-appointed traffic light, on permanent green to the left, and the south bound lane grinds to a halt once more.

I was walking to work this morning along Victoria Street; I noticed a Tip Top truck just north of the pedestrian crossing by Williams Street - you know the one - it stays on red long after the road-crosser has crossed the road and disapeared over the horizon. As I started off for town on foot, the Tip top truck was waiting at those lights. By the time that truck finally passed me I had almost reached the pink church - well past the new 'traffic-flow-improving' roundabout. And, while I'm on the subject, it is not helped by the drivers who unashamedly duck off the main carriageway at Williams Street, swerve round the 'No Entry' sign and wooden planter boxes designed to prevent this very behaviour, and zip along past the kindergarten to Thornton, there to avail themselves of the generous philanthropy, first of those on Thornton and then those on Victoria.

Of course, my tongue is firmly in my cheek and I applaud the kind spirit and selfless etiquette of Cambridge drivers.

But when I'm driving to town I go via Carters Flat - it's quicker.