I AM writing to suggest that the day of York footstreets has passed and that they should be ended without delay. All traffic should be permitted in all parts of York (except Minster Yard and Deangate, Stonegate and Shambles) at all times and perhaps a congestion charge should be introduced.

After all, there are only a few entry points to the inner city and a charge should be easy to administer.

Unlike those who supposedly supervise the existing scheme, I actually walk through the streets of central York virtually every day. I am more fed up than I can say with being shouted at, sworn at and hooted at, by impatient drivers, most of them fit young men.

I observe the traffic jams which occur when the many cars which use footstreets in footstreet hours confront each other.

The council introduced footstreets but neither it nor the police has any interest in enforcing them. I have never seen council officials or police personnel doing so.

It would be far better and safer for those of us who walk through the streets to know that a car, van or lorry is likely to run us down at any moment than to assume wrongly that pedestrians have priority at certain times of day.

Laws which are not enforced bring the whole concept of rule of law into contempt. It would be far better in this instance to bring theory into line with reality.

David Rubinstein,

Portland Street, York.

Updated: 11:10 Wednesday, November 24, 2004