IN all the comments I have read in recent weeks on transport issues in York, I have seen no mention of anyone finding out why people undertake their particular journeys nor any reference to York's special transport problem.

In order to be able to change people's transport behaviour you have to understand why they undertake their journeys in the way they do in the first place, otherwise you will not know whether any proposed solutions will actually tackle the problems they are supposed to solve.

Until you know why people choose to travel by car along certain routes at particular times, any proposed solution is liable to be a waste of taxpayers' money.

Transport in York suffers from a root problem: the River Ouse.

Within the ring road there are only four crossings. Beyond the ring road the next crossings are ten miles in both directions. With so many people wanting to get from one side of the river to the other congestion is bound to ensue.

Matters are not helped by the fact that at weekends the northern ring road becomes solely an access road to Clifton Moor. Similarly, the north-east junction of the A64 and A1237 is unusable every holiday when the road to Scarborough is blocked up with caravans.

Though what most astounds me is that Liz Edge herself admits to being completely lacking in the courage of her own convictions, having written that she would only espouse a controversial matter if she believed that she had sufficient support.

Dr Duncan Campbell

Albemarle Road, York.

Updated: 10:58 Tuesday, April 13, 2004