How surreal the other Sunday morning to see drivers negotiate the busy Cleveland Place junction by the Curfew in free and easy style, the traffic lights switched off while a man up a ladder worked on them.

Far from the chaos and cut-throat attitude one might expect, drivers were courteous, concentrated, used commonsense and stopped to allow pedestrians like myself to cross. Fascinated, I watched for 20 minutes and didn't see one misunderstanding, dodgy manoeuvre or selfish act.

As at Portishead and Bristol, where traffic lights have been switched off to aid flow, one might ask, 'Who needs them?' But, of course, this was Sunday and people were more relaxed than Monday rush-hour. Even so, perhaps it shows how less regimented roads can bring out the best in people. When the Cleveland Place lights are operating, I'm frequently appalled by motorists driving through red lights, making life difficult for pedestrians.

It's easy to see why so many drivers in Bath are uptight. This year, traffic jams have seemed epic, despite this being the quiet season for shopping and tourism. Bathwick Street has seemed worse than ever and, during recent SouthGate roadworks, snails travelled faster than cars along St James' Parade.

Bath's famous hole-diggers have gone for the moment, but I fear SouthGate snarl-ups are the shape of things to come. Only a third of the shopping centre is open, so what will happen when Debenhams pulls in regional shoppers and summer visitors loom large?

Car parks causing problems is a recurring theme. The other Saturday lunchtime, drivers exiting Queen Square and waiting to turn right into Charlotte Street car park were causing gridlock. In fact, stationary cars stretched all the way to London Road.

Some will say all this demonstrates the need for more park-and-rides or the BRT system. Others might advocate cycle lanes, car-sharing or congestion charges. But they're long-term solutions; surely some immediate fast response traffic management is needed to ease the chaos.