ON coming to live in York 20 years ago, I took one look at the traffic and realised it was not going anywhere. I quickly came to the conclusion that York did not have a traffic problem, but rather a traffic management problem.

Imagine my surprise after 20 years to realise that I was wrong. What I thought was a clear case of bad management was, in fact, a very cleverly thought out strategy: plant traffic lights all over the place, close off side streets, lay out one-way systems wrongly, and then mark out cycle tracks, bus lanes, and anything else the management can think of to disrupt the small amount of traffic that York has got.

Then win national acclaim as the cycling city of Britain.

When it is impossible to drive into York, start an award-winning Park and Ride scheme, then when you get most people using it, close some of the car parks, build yet more office blocks and flats, increase car parking fees and further extend the park and ride scheme.

Did the council employ Jonathan Tyler twenty years ago?

Like the Nat West advert on the television, there is another way.

E F Coverdale,

Foxwood Lane,

York.

Updated: 09:15 Thursday, October 21, 2004