I feel compelled to express my views on the latest attempt by the Labour council to waste £18.5m on a scheme to transform the way we travel around the city (Echo 23rd February).

If this scheme goes ahead it will cause more traffic pollution and effect businesses in the city.

I am disappointed that some long serving councillors have forgotten the fact that the closure of Portland Terrace has been tried before allowing only buses and taxis to use it.

Having spent many thousands of pounds implementing it with the relevant traffic regulation order and a few signs, in order to let motorist know Portland Terrace was only to be used by buses.

This attempt was discontinued some time later, as the police were unable to enforce the traffic regulation order on safety of the officer attempting to stop the offending vehicles.

On the matter of the closure of Albion Place car park , again this is a well used car park and is also used by members the Masonic Lodge, several evenings a week (when things get back to normal), in fact the Lodge sold this car park to the council several years ago.

We need a proper built bus station (Not a Hub) in order to stop buses parking on the roads.

A presentation to the full council on the 12th November 2003, by a resident living off Castle Way, highlighted the problems of buses parking on Castle Way / Portland Terrace.

Apart from a few changes at the time, nothing more was done to stop buses parking after the morning and evening peak times and remaining parked for several hours.

As for the removal of the traffic signals on Civic Centre Road and replacing them with a roundabout, the closure of New Road and Devonshire Road etc, this again will cause more pollution in queuing traffic.

Also, these changes will have an impact on the emergency services in the event of serious traffic incident, as the escape diversions routes will no long be available for the police to divert the traffic away from the incident.

Finally, I would add that as an older driver, with reduced mobility and unable to use public transport, these proposed changes will affect my independence when I travel in to the city.

I just hope that when residents vote in the May elections, they will express their views against the current administration and "it’s views to discourage drivers and visitors to the city centre".

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