It takes SEVEN road workers to change a lightbulb... one to climb a ladder and six to watch Photograph shows one workman checking lights worked as others look on Picture was taken by passenger in passing car near Cranbrook, Devon Workers on A30 assessing signals before Highways Agency handover It could be the punchline to an old joke, and yet this picture taken on a dual carriageway shows that it takes seven council road workers just to change one light bulb. The photograph shows six men in high-visibility jackets standing around with their arms crossed as one colleague scales a ladder to check a traffic light. The photo was taken at the junction of the A30 and the M5 in Somerset, near the new town of Cranbrook, Devon and featured men working for a firm carrying out contract work for Devon County Council. Men at work: How many road workers does it take to change a light bulb? Seven contractors attend a job to check whether the traffic signals at the junction of the A30 and the M5 near Cranbrook, Devon, were working correctly The workers had been tasked with checking the signal lights had been set up correctly before Devon County Council hands over maintenance of the signals to the Highways Agency. The picture of the men - who had been employed by a private firm contracted by the council - was taken last Friday and posted on Facebook by Karl Baker, a passenger in a passing car. He wrote: 'Words fail me! Good to see Highways are helping to reduce local unemployment. Other users on the social networking site posted comments to poke fun at the seven-man crew. Adrian Morgan wrote: 'Standard workman rules: 10 watch, 1 works!' Devon County Council said the seven men were employed by a private contractor to check the lights were working properly. A spokesman said: 'The work being carried out was not at the expense of the taxpayer and these are not County Council employees. The contractor was on site to check that the traffic signals are set up in accordance with strict specifications before the maintenance of the signals is handed over to the Highways Agency. The contractor is covering the cost of the final checks and adjustments and they decide how to conduct the work. The workmen were checking a traffic light close to the junction of the A30 and M5, near Cranbrook, Devon