IN response to the council's new traffic proposal (Keep Out, August 1), I believe this scheme will create more congestion and pollution.

Lorries will still be needed to deliver goods to the distribution centre.

Adding electric vehicles means adding more vehicles means more congestion. (How many smaller electric vehicles will it take to deliver M&S a whole lorry full of goods?).

There is no such thing as zero emission electric vehicles, only deferred emission vehicles, because fossil fuels still have to be burned to produce the electricity to charge them up in the first place.

They will need things such as tyres - it takes a lot of energy to make a tyre.

How fast are the fabled zero emission electric vehicles? Are they as fast as a lorry? If not, they will cause hold-ups just like the NRM road train. A distribution centre will need lighting and heating, these will use energy and damage the environment.

The A64 approach to York is busy enough at the best of times, so it's not a good idea to concentrate every bit of freight for the whole city into that one point. Not only all the lorries will go here but all the electric vehicles too.

Will the electric vehicles be big enough to fit say a wardrobe or a sofa inside? If so, why not just use a lorry?

Lorries are not allowed in the city centre during the daytime anyway so why are they being banned from somewhere they are not allowed?

The cost of shipping things into the city will be at least doubled, forcing any remaining retailers out of town.

Yet another shopping centre will be needed, causing congestion around it just as it is at Clifton Moor and Monks Cross.

Paul Dowson,

Sadlers Court, Alne.

Updated: 10:41 Friday, August 05, 2005