EXCLUSIVE - FRUSTRATED motorists, bus users, taxi and ambulance drivers have been facing 'nightmare' journeys in and around York.

Roadworks in the city are causing gridlock during rush hours, and traffic calming is exacerbating problems for ambulances attending emergencies.

North Yorkshire Ambulance Service admitted its journey times have increased alarmingly, partly due to an essential summer programme of roadworks around the city.

The City of York Council says it has to carry out certain work during good summer weather, and specific projects using Government cash need to be started as soon as money is received.

Since the ten-week summer programme of resurfacing started last week, car users in the evening rush are taking at least half an hour to get from the centre to the edge of York, while some bus services are being delayed for longer.

Particular problem spots are along exit routes along Hull Road and Haxby Road near York District Hospital.

Geoff Farnworth, divisional officer in the control room at North Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: "There's always these problems with ambulances trying to get around York.

"It's not just these latest roadworks but traffic calming measures as well. We have certain standards to meet and we have to have vehicles at the scene of a Category A emergency within eight minutes. That's a life-or-death situation like a heart attack.

"Before road humps came in we used to be able to get from the station to Acomb within the required time, but now it can take up to ten minutes.

"Getting into York District Hospital is a nightmare at the moment because of roadworks on Haxby Road.

"The worrying thing is that our turnaround is taking longer and longer, because we can get stuck in the traffic just like anyone else. To have the lights and sirens on is useless and it only makes the journey more stressful for the patient."

North Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been given new guidelines by the Government, stressing that it must reach Category A incidents within eight minutes.

The City of York Council's head of highway regulation, Peter Evely, said: "There are some short term difficulties currently around the city where works are going on, but we are trying to tackle them through our current transport consultation which has been put out to the public.

"As far as traffic calming is concerned, we carried out a consultation exercise about four years ago, which was an exercise in speed management.

"It tried to address the conflicting demands placed on a highway - from Mrs Bloggs who wants to walk a few yards to the shops to the emergency services.

"We put roads into three categories, ranging from very physical means of slowing traffic to below 20mph, through low humps which some vehicles can straddle, to roads with no vertical measures.

"There is no way we can have ambulances whizzing along at 50 or 60mph straight to the door of 53 Acacia Avenue for one incident, as that would cause more problems for other people for the rest of the century when there are no accidents to attend there."

Bus users have also been suffering at the hands of the roadworks.

Paul Bell, operations manager of First York bus firm, said: "Everything running up and down Hull Road is half an hour late.

"Things are being seriously affected and the works outside the hospital aren't helping. You can more or less throw our timetables out of the window when this happens."

And Station Taxis boss Richard Hall says his staff are finding it almost impossible to make it across York. He said: "We're having use the outer ring road to get just short distances across the city."