1991

One-Way Highway

The London Times reported that the Department of Transport had finalized a plan to ease congestion on the M25, the circular highway surrounding London. The capacity of the road would be instantly doubled by the simple but revolutionary technique of making the traffic on both carriageways travel in the same direction. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the traffic would travel clockwise. On Tuesdays and Thursdays it would travel anti-clockwise. The plan was predicted to easily gain the cabinet's approval. However, there were a few critics. One resident of Kent pointed out,

Villagers use the motorway to make shopping trips to Orpington. On some days this will be a journey of two miles, and on others a journey of 117 miles. The scheme is lunatic.

Despite the lunacy, the BBC Radio News fell for the joke and broadcast interviews with residents of Swanscombe who, when the plan was described to them, became irate over its implications.