MR Edwards is again busy promoting the line six service in Osbaldwick (Letters, May 19).

Why? Does it need this after almost three years of service? It would seem so.

He proudly proclaims that there has been a 35 per cent increase in patronage. Really? Over the past four years, Osbaldwick has seen a 33 per cent increase in vehicular traffic and, unfortunately, because First York stubbornly persists in running a high-frequency service for more than ten hours every day, this service has become part of the traffic problem, not the solution, as he suggests.

Only a very small proportion of vehicular trips through Osbaldwick are generated by Osbaldwick residents.

The main thrust of traffic comes from the surrounding areas and their residents who are either fed up of queuing on Hull Road or have decided to pay the B&Q Superstore a visit.

What is badly missing is some form of traffic management despite the fact that B&Q had provided ample funds to implement those.

Now add 600 new dwellings (Derwenthorpe and the Wimpey Homes development) into this picture, and it should be obvious that this increase in population density will result in yet unseen levels of vehicular traffic in a residential area.

Unfortunately, a high-frequency bus service will merely function as some form of alibi for the developers to get the go-head.

In reality, it will not make any impact on vehicular traffic as borne out by recent traffic counts in this area.

Oliver Starzynski,

Murton Way,

York.

Updated: 11:57 Saturday, May 22, 2004