THERE has been much debate about City of York's Council's policy of deploying intelligent bollards and other impediments to control traffic and reduce speed.

On roads such as Windmill Lane they have restricted access and carelessly funnelled the flow of vehicles on to other thoroughfares. These measures no doubt enhance the local environment for a few residents, however for most ratepayers it makes the situation worse.

I remind the council that Hull Road is also a residential street with a 30mph speed limit, yet cars can zoom along at 60mph and trucks thunder along at similar speeds with no fear of detection or prosecution.

This results in noise pollution during the day and disruption of sleep in the night.

It makes the road dangerous to cross and unpleasant to walk by. I see many cyclists, such as foreign students and parents with children ride, along the pathways out of fear.

When vans, trucks and cars are bumper-to-bumper at 50mph who can blame them?

Remember, if you hit a child at 40mph there is an 80 per cent chance that child will die, but if you hit a child at the 30mph speed limit (which nearly everyone ignores) there is an 80 per cent chance the child will live.

But it is going to get worse, with ever-increasing housing developments, new construction projects for the university at one end, and proposed commercial developments at the other, i.e. Foss Islands.

How much more environmental misery must residents suffer before action is taken to enforce speed limits?

Until this happens it is irresponsible of the council to encourage cycling on a road made so dangerous by speeding motorists.

Ken Anderson,

Hull Road,

York.

Updated: 10:29 Saturday, March 26, 2005